Shipping medicine abroad?

[Jadefeather7]

Has anyone ever sent a non prescription medicine abroad? Is it possible? The destination country is Canada. I’ve tried looking online but can’t find much info.

It would depend what the medicine is and who the intended recipient is? You shouldn’t be sharing medication, but it the medication is prescribed for a person currently in Canada then that is different.

There’s some info on the Post Office website about sending abroad and also on the NHS website.

It's going to look dodgy.

Either it's something which is available in Canada which means there's no point in having it shipped from elsewhere.

Or it's not available in Canada which means you could fall foul of Canadian regulations by trying to send it.

What is the medication and why can't the person just get it in Canada?

No one can advise without knowing exactly what the medicine is

If it's not available in Canada, it's probably not licensed for use in Canada, at least not without a prescription. It may be against Canadian law to import it without a pharmaceutical import licence.

What non prescription “drug” are you trying to send? Canada certainly has no lack of OTC supplies? are you sure it’s not sold here under a different name?

Is it cocodamol?
No idea about Canada, but I know many other countries where it's a prescription only drug.
I wouldn't btw.

It’s a teething medicine that’s only available there in gel not liquid form. Sending it to my brother for my niece

I've sent prescription medicine abroad (USA) for a friend when they first relocated and discovered they couldn't get their normal supply without going through a whole load of tests again to get the right dosage. I shoved it in a box with a load of other bits and bobs and just sent it. We couldn't get a straight answer on whether we were allowed or not and so just took our chances. However it was in tablet form not liquid - liquids can be problematic to send anyway.

I managed to send a bunch of prescription antibiotics to DD in Australia with no issue. Went via Royal Mail I think. She's had endless tonsillitis and the antibiotics give me some piece of mind that she's got them in case she can't see a doctor soon enough.

Which teething medicine?
Why are you being cagey about it?

There are no prescription only teething gels in the UK

Is it anbesol liquid? You can only buy that at pharmacy if seen by pharmacist.

Just put it in the post. Who's going to know?

So technically does that not make it prescribed?

The OP has said it's non prescription.

If it's the one I'm thinking of its P licensed, so not prescription only but can only be sold on a premises with a pharmacist present, rather than available anywhere over the counter. It might not be that one of course, but P licensed might have more restrictions. Personally I wouldn't risk it, ever.

Yes Anbesol liquid. My poor niece is really suffering with her teeth and Anbesol is brilliant stuff. I really wish I could get it to her somehow. It’s not a prescription based medicine but I’ve ordered it online for my child after answering a few questions and I have a few boxes of the stuff.

I managed to send a bunch of prescription antibiotics to DD in Australia with no issue. Went via Royal Mail I think. She's had endless tonsillitis and the antibiotics give me some piece of mind that she's got them in case she can't see a doctor soon enough

Google "personal antibiotic resistance". If you use antibiotics, they are less effective for 6 months afterwards and you may become completely resistant to them. So the last person who should be using antibiotics on spec is someone with a recurrent infection - if your DD takes antibiotics when she doesn't absolutely need them, they won't work when she does. And there is usually no delay in seeing a GP in Oz.

What you have done in pursuit of 'peace of mind' is put your DD in a vulnerable position whereby antibiotics are less likely to work when she really needs them. You are putting her at risk. Please tell her never to use them without consulting a doctor first.

Just send it. People are really uptight about things like this on MN. If it's liquid just say it's baby oil. Put it in with a bunch of stuff.

So why can’t your brother order it in directly?? If he can’t, then it’s probably not licensed for use in Canada, and you’d probably cause him all sorts of grief if it is intercepted.

Had he tried the gel version?
Maybe it’s just not as effective on your niece as it was on your dc?

The gel version is pretty useless. It’s all over MN that the liquid version is really effective and everyone I know that has used it has found it great, so there’s a pretty good chance it would work in my opinion. I don’t know what the situation is in Canada but they haven’t been able to find it.

Only royal mail’s website it says there are restrictions on sending prescription drugs to Canada but nothing is said about non prescription.

@Tetran thanks that's what l meant, much more succinct than me!

The active ingredient in Anbesol, called benzocaine, has a rare side effect called methemoglobin(a)emia. Because of this, its sale is restricted in the whole of North America, and you are not supposed to give it to a child under 2 years, except with a doctor's guidance. It doesn't necessarily follow from this that it is illegal to send it to Canada, though.

Actually it’s lidocaine not benzocaine