Travelling Abroad with Medication

As many as 5 million people book their big summer breaks in January and begin making plans for those precious few weeks of sunshine. If like an estimated 50% of the UK, you have a pre-existing medical condition that you take regular medication for, don’t forget to add buying specialist medical travel insurance to your list, as well as how to take your meds with you on your travels. Don’t worry, we can help you out with all your needs!

Where to start

It’s a good idea to begin by speaking to your doctor about your travel plans. You should do this about two months in advance of your holiday, it sounds a long time but if you need extra medication, special permission to travel with your prescribed drugs or even vaccinations, your doctor or medical team might need lots of notice.

Don’t forget to speak to your doctor about any special measures they recommend for when you travel. For example, if you’re travelling through time-zones, you might need to adjust your routine to accommodate different mealtimes and sleeping habits.

Be aware

Some medications, while lawfully prescribed are restricted or controlled in the UK and other countries. It is your responsibility to check if your meds are legal in the countries you are travelling to, or even just passing through. In some countries you could be fined, deported or even face legal action for travelling with medication even if they are prescribed by your doctor, so it’s worth taking a few moments to check – here’s how:

Check if any of your medication is classified as a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, if it is, you’ll need to take special measures to travel with it, even in the UK. This could be a letter from your prescribing GP or even a personal licence issued by the Home Office. It sounds daunting, but there’s lots of help and support available.

Your doctor or pharmacist is probably best placed to tell you if your medication is controlled or restricted. You can also check yourself via GOV.UK - Controlled Drugs List but a word of warning, this list doesn’t contain any brand names, and often just lists an ingredient that are controlled, so it can be difficult to be sure that you’re right. Check with a medical professional if you’re unsure.

If you’re advised by your doctor or pharmacist that your medication is controlled and that you’ll need a personal licence, you should begin the application process as soon as you can. There are full instructions on how to apply GOV.UK - personal licence.

Even if your medication isn’t controlled, there are cases where you’ll need a letter from your GP to travel, this will also apply if you need to travel with some medical equipment. This letter should include the medication name, dose, quantity need to travel and the signature of your prescriber. You may be charged for a letter from your doctor, as this is outside of the NHS free services.

Contact your airline if you need to travel with specialist care equipment like oxygen, glucose monitoring devices or needles, they should be able to offer advice on what you’ll need to do to take them on the plane.

For more information visit the GOV.UK - Hand Luggage Restrictions.

It’s very important to check the rules of the country or countries you’re travelling to, even if you're just passing through. This can be done via the Embassy of the country or countries that you’re travelling to.

You can check the full list of foreign embassies via the GOV.UK website.

General Tips

It’s good practice to carry your medication in your hand luggage if you’re flying, this minimises the chance of loss and protects your meds from extreme temperature changes and pressures.

You may need to make additional medication with you on holiday, this will depend on your medical condition but it’s best to take a few days extra.

If your medication needs to be stored within a certain temperature range, ensure that you have the facility to do this at your destination and during your travels. Your pharmacist can advise you on the best ways to store your medication on the go.

Make sure you're covered

Your holiday should be a time of relaxation and calm, but if you’re travelling with a pre-existing medical condition it can be worrying to be so far from home.

Here at BRAND we specialise in medical travel insurance, so you can be confident that we’ve got a policy that’s right for you. So get a quote today.