Travelling with medication

[Babaroll]

I'm travelling with my son in a couple of months and he is on growth hormone treatment. The GH needs to be kept cool/refrigerated while not in use and I have purchased an icool medicube which will keep it cool enough for 36 hours which is more than enough. However it was delivered yesterday and I've realised that there's not enough room to pack 8 pens in original packaging which I believe is required. It will easily fit the pens on their own. Has anyone travelling with medication without it being in the packaging? I've got a drs letter and the pens themselves all are labelled by the manufacturer with the drug that is in them. I can take the boxes with me but it seems like a waste of space. I really don't want to buy or take another cooler as it's quite heavy as it is with the ice blocks.

Any recent experiences would be welcomed! We're travelling from Australia to UK and transiting via Singapore.

Can you put the pens in the cooler and fold the boxes flat and carry them separately?

I think the thing about them being in their original packaging is about labelling ie they don't want loose blister packs of unlabelled pills or pills decanted into another bottle. If the pens are labelled that's probably okay though I agree I'd probably take the flattened boxes too.

I also usually check the status of the meds in the country I'm travelling to/via as there are some medications that are illegal in some countries (eg some schizophrenia meds in Thailand). If the medication is widely available and/or the drug laws are relaxed then I tend to be less worried. Is Singapore one of the places with really strict drug laws? I can't remember.

Thanks for your replies. I was thinking I'd put the pens in the cooler with the flattened boxes from all of them in my hand luggage. I've got to carry needles and a sharps bin also. From what I've read GH is licensed in Singapore and with a drs letter it should be fine, we are also only transiting through changi not doing a stopover where we'd leave the airport.

We'd only clear customs in the UK. I will declare them on arrival.

I agree that probably the rule is about decanting pills from blister packs and so they've made it a standard rule for all.

When I went to China with prescription medicine, I had a letter from the Doctor, but I also had to take an actual prescription. So I got a copy from the chemist with void written across it. They didnt recognise a doctors letter and needed the prescription. I was also told i should probably have it translated into mandarin, but I didnt bother with that. They never checked my bags or documents, but I felt better that I had it. You might want to check the government website for Singapore as they are crazy strict on some stuff (dont take ANY chewing gum)

Oh dear. I never receive a prescription for the growth hormone. It's very expensive and the endocrinologist sends the prescription directly to the hospital pharmacy and we just pick it up when it's ready. I've had to order extra this time to cover us while we're away. I will double check re importing GH to Singapore just in case.

I just googled it for you. If you are not leaving the airport, you should be OK. If you were going into Singapore, you would have to pre apply for a special import license. You still should take as much documentation as you can because its safer and customs officials are not great on understanding medical stuff (own personal experience) but will usually defer to a prescription as it is an offcial document that is regulated.

My DP is T1 Diabetic and always travels with his pens, spare needles and insulin in hand luggage, and has never been questioned wherever we’ve traveled.
I think just one box of packaging and the doctors letter all together with the pens will be fine.

Thanks seatoski - I've struggled to get on the relevant websites for Singapore - it kept hanging. I'll see if I can get a prescription copy when I pick up from the hospital pharmacy.

Thanks paper doll, I was hoping someone with experience of transporting insulin would come along!