for your "over the counter" can't-get-it-in-the UK travel purchase tips?

[MangosAndPapayas]

I've only recently learnt that you can buy melatonin over the counter in the USA but in the UK it's only available on prescription.

I was thinking that for someone coming to the UK the morning after pill (NOT as emergency contraception before I get flamed) might be a useful purchase for countries where you can't get it.

And then I was wondering what other things can you buy over the counter
in other countries that you can't get in the UK?

Canada? Australia? Europe?

Any tips for anything worthwhile? I'm thinking more retin A/ melatonin type stuff than paracetamol.

I've got tonnes of things over the counter abroad that are prescription only in the U.K. (over many years of travelling).

Antibiotics in most places - have definitely bought them in Thailand (many times), Tanzania, several countries in central & South America.

Strong painkillers and sedatives - I bought tramadol in Thailand, diazepam (worryingly vast quantities!) in Guatemala, zopiclone (a potentially addictive sleeping tablet) in Ecuador. Fluoxetine (Prozac) in Thailand too.

In Honduras they had multiple brands of morning after pill available on the shelf in the supermarket! Did think that was quite forward thinking.

I would like to point out that I bought all these for genuine reasons and have medical knowledge when I chose to use them!

On a recent trip to USA I stocked up on melatonin, famotidine (antacid), triple antibiotic cream. And super cool character plasters (Star Wars ones etc).

I could buy salbutamol inhalers in Andorra

Thread summary so far

USA
Melatonin
Hydrocortisone cream

Egypt
"Pretty much anything you like"

Turkey
Viagra

France
Melatonin

UK
Morning after pill
Deet
1% hydrocortisone cream
Nurofen plus painkiller with codeine.
Buscopan (For IBS and cramps)

N. Ireland
Codeine cough syrup (not availble in Eire)

Sweden/Finland
Just don't get ill. One box paracetamol.

DH had forgotten his prescription tablets for blood pressure when we went to Spain. He was able to just ask for them in a pharmacy. They were 4x the dose he was taking and the pharmacist cheerfully said to just cut them in half and half again.

In Tanzania you can get pretty much anything as it is so unregulated. You could ask for 20 diazepam and get them without the pharmacist blanching. Then you'd be told of the sliding scale of prices depending on where they were manufactured. So Germany would be the most expensive, Israel mid range and India lowest.

Antibiotics, whatever kind you want, in loads of Asian countries. Makes me laugh when there's yet another article about how we in the UK really mustn't expect them from GPs - seriously, I get it but it's like pissing in the wind.

In South Korea you can just buy a month's supply of the contraceptive pill for a few quid, no questions asked.

Sweden/Finland - just don't get ill to be fair, in Finland at least we have much nicer repeat prescription rules so some things are better here at least

Updated thread summary so far. If I was more organised it would be alphabetical order...

USA
Melatonin
Hydrocortisone cream
Famotidine (antacid)
Triple antibiotic cream.

Super cool character plasters (Star Wars ones etc).

Egypt
"Pretty much anything you like"

Turkey
Viagra

France
Melatonin

UK
Morning after pill
Deet
1% hydrocortisone cream
Nurofen plus painkiller with codeine.
Buscopan (For IBS and cramps)
Lemsip Max
Rennie

N. Ireland
Codeine cough syrup (not availble in Eire)

Sweden/Finland
Just don't get ill. One box paracetamol

Thailand
Antibiotics
Tramadol
Fluoxetine (Prozac)

Guatemala
"diazepam (worryingly vast quantities!)"

Ecuador
"zopiclone (a potentially addictive sleeping tablet)"

Honduras
"multiple brands of morning after pill available on the shelf in the supermarket! Did think that was quite forward thinking."

Tanzania
"you can get pretty much anything as it is so unregulated. You could ask for 20 diazepam and get them without the pharmacist blanching."

Melatonin gave me terrifying nightmares

Just in case anyone thought it was side-effect free

Nothing for cystitis in the Philippines
I had it really bad over there and the pharmacist wouldn't give me anything without visiting the doctor.

In Greece you can buy the contraceptive pill (including Yasmin - which is hard to get prescribed here in the U.K.) over the counter.

I've had diazepam over the counter in Thailand and Vietnam, but needed a prescription in Malaysia.

I bought my repeat prescription meds over the counter in Spain for €3 ish no questions asked. Muscle relaxants.
I have friends in Germany who, when I ask "what can I bring you from the UK?" when I go to visit, always ask for aspirin tablets as they're mega expensive there and I can get them in Asda / Tesco etc. for 16p!

You can buy large bottle of ibuprofen in America - like 500 in a bottle.

I stocked up on salbutamol inhalers while in Spain, bought over the counter for half the price of a U.K. Prescription.

In Australia you can buy 32mg codeine tablets like Panadine Forte over the counter
Need a prescription here in UK

Prednisolone & betametasone cream in Morocco
Actually, pretty much anything in Morocco.
Salbutamol inhalers- Tunisia & Morocco, about £2.80 each.

In Spain after injuring my knee we bought naproxen and a shit load of tramadol over the counter. Hazy days for me!

Also bought antibiotics for DDs ear infection.

In Italy they sell xanax over the counter (in 3 strengths and liquid or tablet form) and some antibiotics.

Can get valium, viagra and melatonin in India OTC. And malaria tablets!

( Not so easy to get alcohol tho...)

Antibiotics in USA

You have to have a prescription to get antibiotics here in the US. Although, I've read that the antibiotics you buy at the pet shop for fish are the same ones people take, but I've never tested that theory.

You can get triple antibiotic ointment mentioned above OTC, for cuts and stuff. And you can get Melatonin gummies. Target sells good ones.

The suppositories are all over Europe particularly France/Germany/Spain.

In Canada you can buy the original Gripe Water with alcohol!

We always stock up on Ovex, Lemsip and syrupy children's painkillers when we come home to the UK. Though I've found an online source for mebendazole (ovex) now which doesn't seem to require a prescription which is a relief.

(Does anyone know a Lemsip alternative in Germany or France?)

Just to add you can buy Codinex, s codeine based cough bottle on Republic Ireland. Amazing stuff, over the counter, but you have to ask for it

Worth noting that went to chemist in NYC to buy voltarol or similar pain relief gel and for that you DO need a prescription unlike in U.K.!

In Cyprus you can buy Amoxycillin and other antibiotics over the counter for around seven euros (legal)

I've bought Norethisterone here without a prescription, just had to sweet talk the right pharmacist

So what happens if you buy something OTC in a country where it is legal to do so and bring them back to the UK? Can you get in trouble with customs etc?