Besides getting your passport, itinerary, and appropriate clothing for your trip, if you’re going on a vacation, make sure that you don’t forget your meds. After all, running into a problem with your prescription meds can turn your dream vacation sour.
Sometimes, bringing them along can be complicated, particularly if you’re traveling overseas. But, with some proper preparation, you can get your prescription meds almost anywhere without a hitch. Still, how do you pack your meds, can you stay on your dosing regimen, and can there be problems with airport security?
Here are four helpful tips for traveling with prescription drugs safely to your destination and back again.
Stock Up Before You Leave
A couple of weeks or more before your trip, check to ensure that you have enough of your medication plus some extra in case your return flight gets delayed or something unexpected happens while you’re absent from home. Most health insurance plans will only allow you to pick up one month’s supply of medicine at a time. So, if you’re going on a long trip that will exceed one month, you might need to get an insurance override to stock up on your meds.
To achieve that, you may need to call your insurance provider in advance or work with your local pharmacy to get a timely refill of your medication. In case your insurance doesn’t allow a vacation override, you can always get a savings coupon from Option RX and find discounts for your meds at over 65,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Make Sure To Pack Your Meds Properly
The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has no strict rules on the number of pills or other “solid form” medicines that travelers can bring. According to their medication policy, each traveler is permitted to bring along a “reasonable” amount of liquid medication as well. Still, they need to declare their prescription meds to the TSA officer when they go through security at the airport. Or, if you’re traveling abroad, always keep your prescription drugs in their original bottles with the pharmacy labels intact.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when traveling with prescription medicines is to put them in pill organizers. Then, when you pass through customs in other countries, you put yourself at the risk of having no proof that those meds are prescribed to you, and they could easily get confiscated.
So, you might be wondering where you should pack your meds when flying. When flying with prescription meds, you always want to keep your meds on you throughout the whole journey because if your drugs get lost with your checked luggage, you may not be able to get them replaced or recovered. So, for that reason, always keep your meds in your purse, backpack, or carry-on.
Check Your Meds For Side Effects
In addition, since travelers can experience a wide variety of side effects from their regular prescription meds while being away from home, always check your meds for potential side effects and plan ahead.
For instance, many medicines can make your skin more sensitive to the sun. So, if you’re traveling to a sunny summer vacation destination, know that you may burn more quickly, so it would be best to pack extra sunscreen and stay out of the sun for as much as possible. Or, if you come down with a travel-related illness while on your trip, make a quick phone call to your doctor about how that situation may affect your medications.
Thoroughly Document Your Meds
One more thing before you jet off for good, we recommend you jot down the details about every prescription med you’re taking with you on the trip, including:
- Full name of the med, including its strength (for instance, Fetzima ER 75 mg);
- Instructions and frequency for taking it (for example, take 0.5 capsules by mouth each day);
- Name, phone number, or any other contact information of the prescribing physician;
- Pharmacy prescription number;
- Pharmacy phone number and any additional contact information;
- Pharmacy insurance number: PCN, BIN number, ID number, and group.
Always keep this information in your wallet or purse at all times, as it can help any medical professional or pharmacy assisting in replacing stolen or lost meds. In addition, keep the list current by updating all necessary information any time you start a new med, adjust the dose, or discontinue the medication.
Final Words
The bottom line is that taking your prescription drugs with you when traveling is very important. To experience a stress-free vacation or business trip, follow the aforementioned helpful tips for traveling with prescription meds and enjoy your time away from home.
