Traveling with medications
Even for those who are used to handling their medicine at home, going on a trip can be a challenge. How should a medicine that needs to be refrigerated be transported? What are you allowed to bring on the flight, and how? And do you need a certificate of any kind? Regardless of how and where you travel, the key word is preparation.
It’s obvious to us that many of Elsa's users have questions about traveling with their medicine, especially if you take injections. And the queries can of course vary depending on whether you are camping, traveling by train, flying, driving or sailing—and which destination is the goal.
Make preparations
Make sure to collect enough of your medication well in advance of your trip. Bring a little more than you think you need, so that there will be no crisis if the journey home is delayed for any reason.
Sometimes you may need to show that the medicine you bring is for personal use. You can do this by showing your prescription, a doctor's certificate, or the label from the pharmacy on the package. Keep the certificate close at hand when, for example, you go through a security check.
You can get a certificate from your rheumatologist’s office. Ask for it well in advance!
Pack wisely
If you are going to fly, pack your medication in your hand luggage. Checked-in luggage risks being handled carelessly, being delayed or—in the worst case—being lost. In addition, there is a risk that an injection cannot withstand the low temperature that prevails in the aircraft's hold during the flight.
It can be a good idea to pack the medicine in its original packaging, so that you can easily show what kind of medicine it is and that your name is on the label.
If your medication needs to be refrigerated, make sure you have a suitable cooling bag. For example, place a towel between the cooling pads and the packaging so that the medicine does not get too cold.
What rules apply?
Both over-the-counter and prescription medicine, including healthcare items in liquid form, may be taken without restriction in your hand luggage when you fly. In other words, you have the right to bring what you need. This also applies to ice packs or equivalent, if the medicine needs to be kept cool. (1)
However, there may be different rules in different countries regarding the amount of medicine that may be brought into the country. Many countries have special rules for medications classified as narcotics, such as certain painkillers and sleeping pills.
You can find out what applies to a particular destination by contacting the country's embassy in your own country (2). If you are unsure about what applies when flying, contact the respective airline.
Take a look at Elsa's new program Biologics—Knowledge and everyday life. You will find the program in the app.