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Managing chronic medicine while travelling

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Key to the success and enjoyment of any trip, especially when you have chronic disease, is being and staying healthy. Having access to all your medications can potentially be a matter of life and death when you travel from home. Preparation and planning will ensure your health is not compromised while you travel.

Before you pack

Your first stop is you doctor or specialist. Ask him or her for a letter that explains the nature of your condition or illness, and the medicine needed to treat it.

Get a detailed prescription for all the medicines – brands as well as quantities – you will need while you are travelling. Ensure that the prescription allows for ample supplies of all your medicines to ensure you won't run out if your travel plans are disrupted or extended.

If you need to carry needles or syringes with you, also get a letter for this from your doctor. You should also discuss this with your particular airline, as different airlines have different security regulations.

Also discuss with your doctor how travelling through time zones will affect the way you take you medicines.

When you pack

At least some of your prescription medicines should be packed in your carry-on luggage. Some advise that all prescribed medicines should go in the carry-on luggage, but you could run a risk of being stuck without your meds if your carry-on luggage goes missing. The best route is to split your prescribed medicines between your luggage, with some of everything going in both the cabin and the check-in luggage.

All medicine should be packed in the original, labelled containers or packets to avoid problems at customs.

Make copies of the prescriptions and pack these copies with the medicines. Also leave a copy of your prescription/s with someone at home.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP) is available 24 hours a day of you wanted to know more about travelling with chronic medicine. Call us on the EWP number of email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Sources:

healthinsurance.about.com
www.smartraveller.gov.au