The first time my partner and I arrived in Japan, we were stopped at Customs. Something prompted a search of our bags. Maybe the official spotted that my partner looked rather miserable with a cold.
The official found an American over-the-counter cold medication containing pseudoephedrine. It’s illegal to bring this substance into Japan, but, after a short lecture, the official took pity on Dwight and waved us through.
Japan has a long list of medications that cannot be brought into the country, including some analgesics that are available over-the-counter in the USA.
Maybe the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has it right. A few days ahead of travel to the country you have to electronically submit a list of medications and supporting documents for approval. The UAE is particularly strict and has jailed people for bringing in normal quantities of medications. I’m not planning on visiting the UAE again any time soon.
Once you get into a country, there can be issues buying a medication in a pharmacy. For example, I discovered Imodium, an over-the-counter medication in the USA, is not available over-the-counter in Japan. Mercifully, I found a pharmacist who knew enough English to recommend an alternative that did the trick.
One side-effect of a medication can be shorter trips. To keep metastatic tumor at bay, I take a daily dose of a drug called Zytiga. I can only get a 30-day supply at a time, so that limits the length of a trip. It’s also extraordinarily expensive, so now, more than ever, I avoid travel to or through countries where officials are more likely to be corrupt. The Zytiga could be confiscated or I could be asked to pay a bribe.
I’ve read it’s a good idea to carry prescriptions and a letter from your physician. I simply fall back on my electronic medical record which can be accessed via my phone. In a previous post I wrote about how my online medical record provided officials in Shanghai’s Pudong Airport with a reason to allow me into China.
Before traveling to a foreign country, I check official Web sites for any restrictions. I carry medications in their original containers. My name on the labels exactly matches my name on my passport. I carry extra doses in case the trip is extended because of extreme weather or other factors.
All this starts to collide with my desire to travel light.