Travel Advice - Prescription medications and travel

If you take prescription medicine, be sure to have your physician provide a second copy of the written prescription to take with you while traveling. If you are traveling in the US, you can easily use the prescription if you should lose or run out of your medication. Although it can take some doing, you may be able to have the prescription filled while you are out of the country.  Many countries do not permit pharmacies to fill "foreign"  prescriptions.

Although no one plans to lose or run out of prescription medications while traveling, it does happen.

Follow the suggestions below to help ensure that your “meds” are available during travel:

1. Plan.

• Order enough medication to cover your needs during travel.

2. Take a back-up supply of medication on your trip.

• Do not pack the back up and your main prescription in the same bag.
• Do not pack your prescription medicine in luggage that you will  check.

3. Carry written prescriptions for the medications for possible “emergency refills” at your destination.

4. Carry a list with the names and contact information for doctors and pharmacists you use at home.

• If you have lost your prescription medicine and do not have a backup, see if the doctor's office can fax a prescription order to a local pharmacy.
• Many countries do not allow their pharmacies to fill "foreign" prescriptions. (See item 7).

5. Carry a list of the prescription number and other pertinent information on the specific medication (brands, generic names, and dosage) to identify your “lost” medicine in case you need to describe it to authorities.

6. It is highly recommended that you carry the name and telephone number of your doctor, clinic, insurance, and pharmacist, in case you need to refer to them.

7. If all else fails, you may need to find  a local physician  and have them order a new prescription for you.

• See our article on Medical and Dental Assistance Abroad .

You also can call the Center for Disease Control's toll-free Travelers' Health Hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP for medical questions that arise during your trip.

If you need to find information about Destinations or other Things Travelers Need To Know, try Googling ThereArePlaces.  

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