Tips for a safer trip while traveling with medication
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Travelers could be unknowingly risking their life by putting their medication in their checked luggage, with a rise in delayed luggage due to the return of international travel in 2022 catching out many of our Nomads.
World Nomads has seen a rise in travelers contacting our Emergency Services team for help when their checked bag with their life-saving critical medications doesn’t make it to their destination. And the situation has been compounded by COVID, with doctors reluctant or unable to visit travelers in their hotel room if they have COVID, making getting a new prescription very difficult.
While your medication might be perfectly legal at home, the rules are different overseas and you don’t want to find yourself with fines to pay, confiscated medication, particularly if it’s critical to our health, or worse, arrested and jailed.
All this has happened to unwary travelers over the years, so it pays to check your medication’s legal status at the destination you’re travelling to. Some examples of medication that has caught travelers out has ranged from asthma medication, to medicinal marijuana, and contraception.
Whatever you do – it is never a good idea to ‘run the gauntlet’ if you know your medication is considered illegal in the country you are heading to. If that is the case and you have no alternatives then you should seriously reconsider your need to travel there.
“One of our Nomads was travelling in Singapore and needed their medication to be topped up – they reached out to their doctor who properly prescribed it in their home country and couriered it to them. Unfortunately it was not legal in Singapore and our poor Nomad spent two days in jail before they were able to clear things up with the authorities, with our help.”
While all cultures are different, some also hold different attitudes and beliefs around illness such as seizures, mental health episodes and reproductive health. It’s important to respect these beliefs but also plan for what that may mean for you.
You may not be able to get your medication prescribed or filled, and you may not be able to seek the medical help you need if your condition isn’t properly recognised. Make sure you plan ahead with adequate medication and a plan of how to get help if needed.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.
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