When you are planning a trip, especially one overseas, a
very important thing to remember is your medication, specifically your
prescription medication. If traveling within the United States, forgetting your
meds may seem like a really bad thing initially. But if you live in the U.S., all you need to do is have
your pharmacy at home contact a pharmacy where you are visiting and you’re all
set. No problem.
Not so when in another country. There are some medications
you can purchase over-the-counter (without a doctor’s prescription) in
pharmacies/farmacias/drug stores/whatever else they may be called in other countries.
I have heard of people going to Mexico for cheaper medications for everything
from prescription skincare to erectile dysfunction medication. But if you are on a daily, or
even weekly, medication for a health condition, you need to be sure that you
not only pack it, but that you pack enough for the entire trip. Because if you
run out, you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
I would also suggest that to avoid any issues with
immigration in any country (including your own), keep prescribed medication in
the original bottles. It’s probably not a good idea to dump them all in a
ziplock plastic bag so you save space in your luggage. I’m all for saving space
when packing for travel, but a little baggie full of pills just doesn’t look
good, officially speaking.
Unfortunately, I cannot speak to anything beyond pills. If
you have diabetes and require insulin injections or have another health
condition that requires injections of any kind, then please do your homework,
talk to your physician, talk to a travel clinic in your home country, and make
sure you do what is necessary to stay healthy during your travels.
In regard to other medications, such as pills, you also need
to remember them when you leave your hotel or hostel or guesthouse. You’re
thinking, “No duh.” But honestly, sometimes you are in a hurry to catch a bus
or another flight and you leave the little things behind. Like pills.
When I was in central Mexico, staying in a simple but
charming family-run guesthouse, I became friends with a young Danish couple
staying there. They weren’t married, but they often told the older locals that
they were so their cohabitation wasn’t frowned upon. The same morning they left
for the bus station to continue traveling through the country, I heard a knock
on my door. It was the maid. She was an extremely sweet person. Very friendly
and she helped me when I suffered from stomach bacteria (see stories about stomach woes here). But this particular morning, she was upset about something. Shaking a
small plastic disc in my face she declared, “That couple was using birth
control! That is a sin! They are not supposed to use these! I cannot believe
it!” And on and on.
My first thought was, “Oh no, they aren’t going to have
birth control for the rest of their trip! They are going to freak out!” (My second thought was, "How does the maid know those are birth control pills if she is so against them?" But I digress ...).
I managed to calm the maid down a bit, telling her that
sometimes doctors prescribe birth control for health reasons, not just to
prevent pregnancy (which is true, of course, even if it wasn’t in this case).
Then I said, “Here, let me take care of those for you,” and took the packet as
I patted her back and diplomatically nodded my head. I already had plans to go to the bus
station that day because I was checking out transportation options for my
mother’s upcoming visit. I decided to go earlier to see if I could catch
the Danes and save them from possible problems, like, say ... an unplanned
pregnancy.
When I got to the bus station, they were happy to see me
since we didn’t get to say good-bye that morning. But the woman was even
happier when I showed her the pack of pills she left behind and asked, “Did you
forget something?” Tough situation avoided. Sinful tourists – 1. Devout maid –
0.
Ladies, I suggest you keep that particular type of “medication” in
your makeup bag or something, rather than out on a countertop or table. Not
only will you avoid leaving it behind, but you will avoid any potential
culture clashes that are simply too difficult to explain in any language. Keep
your birth control to yourself, if you know what I mean. Not all locals in more traditional countries hold the same view as the maid I mention, but why risk such drama?
For other types of medication, it is just important to not
only bring it along, but to bring enough. You are taking it for a reason. Don’t
let forgetting it make your trip memorable for the wrong reasons.
