Traveling with medication in Baggage
That our health does not suffer from it and that we have the means at our disposal to take care of it is one of the concerns that we usually have when we travel. For this reason, when preparing the luggage, we cannot forget to carry a basic travel kit to continue our usual treatment or to be able to stop the symptoms and frequent diseases of the traveler such as colds, muscle aches or diarrhea. Then doubts like these arise. Can we take medication on the plane? Is your quantity limited? Are there any drugs prohibited in the country where you are travelling?
Update on the rules applying to air travelers with regard to the transport of medicines.
In the United States, the transport of medicines by plane is strictly controlled, are concerned: all Southwest flights departing from the United States, whatever their destination.
If tablets, capsules and other “solid” medicines can be transported in the hold or in the cabin, this is not the case for medicines in the form of liquids which the passenger can only take on board in his hand luggage if he is able to present a medical prescription at the gate.
The prescription must detail all the elements of the treatment taken during the trip. With this document, the passenger is normally authorized to carry with him the quantities necessary for the total duration of the stay (outward flight, time of stay and return flight).
Traveling with medication on the plane: How to take them and what rules to take into account?
When evaluating which medications to take, you should take into account your own state of health and inform us of the sanitary conditions of the destination.
Especially if you have a pre-existing or chronic medical condition or if you are traveling with children, ask your doctor for advice on how the trip and destination may affect your medical condition and your treatment and for advice on the medicines you should take. you need and you make the corresponding recipes. We will talk about the travel requirements of this document and other medical documents later.
You will also need to find out if there are any vaccines recommended for your trip and find out about the quality of health care at your destination, as well as the preventive measures that must be taken there depending on hygiene conditions or endemic diseases.
In addition to the doctor, the pharmacist can also advise you on the transport and storage of medication on the plane or on points that will be useful to you if you have to buy them at destination: components, names or equivalent brands in the country of destination, or if, on the contrary, that in your country of origin, certain medicines require a prescription in the country of destination.
Once informed, you are ready to prepare your travel kit. In addition to the medications you need for your usual treatment, it is handy to have painkillers and anti-inflammatories for pain and fever, antidiarrheals, antacids, sunscreen creams, contact, repellents against mosquitoes and insects, equipment for cures, …
Just like medication, you shouldn’t forget about travel insurance to protect your health. You will receive quality health care in the best centers thanks to the 24-hour assistance service. From a medical visit to an emergency intervention, travel insurance will cover the medical expenses necessary for your recovery, even if you need to extend your stay or return earlier.
Taking medication on a Southwest flight?
It is possible to travel with medication on the plane in your hand luggage or in permitted additional items. Airlines including Southwest Airlines and airports recommend keeping them in an easily accessible location to expedite their presentation to passenger screening.
Only as a precaution, it is recommended to carry some extra doses in checked baggage, but not all drugs. Not only because they can be lost with the suitcase and their recovery is delayed, but because there are substances such as insulin that cannot enter the hold of the plane, because they can be altered by temperature changes.
When traveling with medication on the plane, it is necessary to demonstrate to the airline and security personnel and authorities that these are intended to provide personal medical treatment during the trip. For this reason, the drugs must be in their original container (to avoid pillboxes or plastic bags) and accompanied by their respective leaflets.
You will also need to have on hand a doctor’s prescription which expresses the dose and duration of the treatment, the presentation and the trade names of these medicines. It is also handy to bring a report in English or the target language that includes the doctor’s contact details and your background so that you can justify that you are going to treat yourself with these drugs.
The prescription and the medical certificate must be signed and stamped by the doctor. These documents can also be useful to us in the event that it is necessary to buy these drugs or seek treatment abroad.
Therefore, it is best to keep a copy of this information in checked baggage or in digital storage.
What if one of your medications on the plane is liquid?
One can travel with them in the cabin, since medicines are exempt from restrictions on the carriage of liquids in hand luggage, yes, as long as one justifies their use by prescriptions and a medical report throughout the trip, including return flights However, liquid medication will need to be carried in the same transparent bag as the rest of the liquids so that we can show them at the security checkpoint.
What happens if you need to bring a syringe or an insulin injection on the plane?
If you must travel with medical utensils such as syringes, needles, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, …, it is advisable to find out about the conditions of the airline before flying, in case this material is registered as a prohibited item in carry-on baggage. In order to pass the security check and board them on the plane, their use must also be justified by a medical report. Travelers with pacemakers must always carry a document in English or the destination language indicating what type of pacemaker is implanted and that they cannot pass through the metal detector.