Leave medication in there correct packaging do NOT decant into other bottles or bags. Depending on what you take it is worth getting a note from your Doctor just what the medication is and what it is for. Also make a note of the common name (generic) of the medicine as what we know something as, the USA or Kenya say might call it something else.:s

If medication IE insulin needs to be kept cool, most airlines allow you to keep it in hand luggage packed with crushed ice say?. Please check with the airline. This also goes for epi pens and insulin needles.:dodgy:

If you have a major problem just make sure your fully covered with insurance if they have to get you home.:exclamation:

I have seen JY Reps in action a couple of times with medical emergencys and both times the patient was treated with the utmost dignitiy, and claims were sorted promptly.:thumbup:

Cindy

If you have to take medication please take enough for while your away and for a week or two longer just in case something happens..

Leave medication in there correct packaging do NOT decant into other bottles or bags. Depending on what you take it is worth getting a note from your Doctor just what the medication is and what it is for. Also make a note of the common name (generic) of the medicine as what we know something as, the USA or Kenya say might call it something else.:s

If medication IE insulin needs to be kept cool, most airlines allow you to keep it in hand luggage packed with crushed ice say?. Please check with the airline. This also goes for epi pens and insulin needles.:dodgy:

If you have a major problem just make sure your fully covered with insurance if they have to get you home.:exclamation:

I have seen JY Reps in action a couple of times with medical emergencys and both times the patient was treated with the utmost dignitiy, and claims were sorted promptly.:thumbup:

Cindy

I have just joined the Community as I will not be going away on my own until next year. However, your post today has answered one of my questions about medication but also brought up another question of my own. I take various supplements, e.g. calcium tablets, cod liver oil etc. which come in very large bottles so I cannot pack them in my case. What would you do with these?

Thank you for all your postings, I am one of those people that love to plan and book my holidays well in advance and then read all the reviews etc. before I go.

Pauline

Cheers,

Bob

If they are important to your health I would most definatley pack them in hand luggage if just painkillers type of thing then in the hold is fine. Anything important to me that I don't want to go missing comes in the plane with me, if it can be lost it goes in the hold.

Bob

I agree with your thinking but airlines and security would much rather the pills etc were left in there correct packaging, I am sure you have had no problem along your tours but never say never. I know some one at BAA security at Heathrow who said medicine are a nightmare unless in original packaging, who is to say what things are if they have been de canted..

These are just my thoughts if in doubt check with airlines website or give the JY office a call.

Cindy

Probably watch too many customs programmes on TV.

Mick

Luckily we never needed to make a call.

Cheers,

Bob

Jaya

I take one a day cod liver oil capsules and always take a supply on my holidays. I count out my daily supply and place them in a plastic bag and carry them in my suitcase. Headache pills, antihistamine, throat lozenges etc are taken in strips. I've not had any problems so far.

Regards

Sylvia

I did have my eyes on doing Cambodia & The Mekong Delta and wondered if anyone has used cool pouches for syringes (I have read about the FRIO range of products which only require water in order to work) or if anyone can give me any advice whatsoever. Tips on disposal/keeping safe used sharps would be helpful too.

Much appreciated,

Angie

I'm diabetic and take two different insulin's a day, I use the FRIO bags, I have the large one that holds 5 pens and the even larger one that holds 8 pens. I also have a second bag of the larger one in a different colour. Last Jan/Feb I did a four week tour of Australia (from Cairns to Sydney with a different company) and I had no problems at all. The FRIO bag kept my insulin cool and as I had to keep it with me when we stopped in Singapore it was easy to "re-charge" the FRIO bag by just soaking in cold water in the toilet in the Singapore terminal. On holiday all the hotels I used had fridges in the room so my FRIO bag was just then used then to keep my insulin safe between hotels.

As far as "sharps " go I keep them in a box and take them home, sometimes on the aircraft there are sharps bins in the toilets but to my recollection the needles I use didn't fit.

Thanks for reassuring me. I knew I could count on a fellow JY'er to confirm what I had read online. It's nice to hear directly from someone who has used them.

I just got my hands on my medication a couple of days ago and had my first injection today which was a breeze. I don't have diabetes but the medication needs to be stored in a similar manner. I'm just away to purchase the extra large wallet and see how I get on with that.

Many 2014 holidays are now appearing - apart from the one I'm looking out for (Cambodia & Mekong Delta) - I hope it appears soon, so I know it's definitely going.

Thanks again,

Angie

I'd also say if you are on regular (prescribed) medication, then take a copy of your repeat prescription form with you. I'm a practice nurse and I've had patients tell me they are asked for that sometimes.

oh and inhalers don't travel well in the hold- make sure they are in your hand luggage. the puffer types can be affected if depressurized and not work properly.

The NHS has a great page on traveling with Medication (see link below)

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1074.aspx?CategoryID=70&SubCategoryID=175 

As do most of the airlines. I've never known anyone to have any issues, except one gentleman that I traveled with, who got stopped in Dubai where we were changing planes because he had cod live oil capsules in a clear plastic bag.

You just need to be sensible about what you take and how you take it. I would definitely recommend splitting your medication (if possible) between your hand luggage and suitcase just in case.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frio-FITC-Insulin-Travel-Case/dp/B001LNWEKY/ref=pd_cp_kh_2 

However easyjet give confusing advice re travelling with medications :huh: - they tell you to carry a Doctors letter (expensive) or "medical certification". I have tried to explain to them that a medical certificate is a sick note, meant to be given to an employers when off sick, and that my GP will not issue one to travel abroad. Unfortunately they do not seem to understand, however when speaking to their call centre the impression I got was that it was situated abroad and not in the uk.

I have flown all over the world with other air companies, and this is not the advice given by most. All you need is the medication in the origional box, with a copy of the prescription. If travelling to a foreign country that uses an alternative language to English, I include a translation of the items on the prescription, which helps if for some reason you need to obtain further supplies when abroad.. On the printed translation I include 3 columns, the 1st with the item as it appears on the prescription, the 2nd column with the item translated into the foreign language and the 3rd column saying why I take it and at what time/s, also in the foreign language.

When it comes to my insulin pen and the needles, I have found it is the needles which may lead to questions at customs. So I have a "to whom it may concern" letter from my GP, stating I am a type 1 diabetic, which has satisfied customs in the UK, USA, New Zealand, France and Spain for the last 3 years, without a need for a different letter every time.

For those travelling with insulin who are worried about keeping it cool, the Frio wallets may be bought easily through Amazon. I have used them on a 6 week trip in temperatures of up to 30 Degrees C and they are highly effective. This is the result of a search on amazon, showing multiple sources, I own a small wallet for the 2 syringes in use and a large one for the boxes of insulin cartridges.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_0_12?url=search-alias%3Dkitchen&field-keywords=frio+wallets&sprefix=frio+wallets%2Cdrugstore%2C274&rh=n%3A11052681%2Ck%3Afrio+wallets 

If you are worried about disposing of sharps from the syringe or blood testing equipment you can buy small sharps boxes through Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_6?url=search-alias%3Ddrugstore&field-keywords=sharps%20box&sprefix=sharps%2Cdrugstore%2C274 

If anyone is travelling to New Zealand, and use Aviva blood testing equipment, they do not use this make so you are unable to obtain more testing strips if needed. So take a really good supply. of the strips They do not include carbohydrate content of foods on packaging either, and I found it easy to become destabalised thus requiring more constant testing. I ran out of strips, could not replace them, and had to buy the blood testing kit they use over there and which is of no use in the UK.

Hope this all helps

Cindy