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Does anyone know of a website that I can check my medication to see if it is allowed in the countries I am visiting?  I would assume that there would be a website I can put in my medication and it would show me the countries it is banned.  I was just trying to look for Spain and cannot seem to find a list or a place that would tell me what is excepted.

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The CDC has info on this (they're not just for Covid anymore!)   Traveling Abroad with Medicine | Travelers' Health | CDC

From the article:

  • Check with the foreign embassy of the country you will be visiting or passing through to make sure your medicines are permitted in that country.
    • Be aware that many countries only allow taking a 30-day supply of certain medicines and require the traveler to carry a prescription or a medical certificate.
    • If your medicine is banned at your destination, talk with your health care provider about alternative medicine or destination options, and have your doctor write a letter describing your condition and the treatment plan.
    • The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) provides general information about country regulations for travelers carrying medicines that are made with controlled substances. It’s important to note that INCB may not have information from all countries or territories.
  • Make an appointment with a travel medicine specialist or your health care provider to get needed vaccines and medicines at least 4 to 6 weeks before you leave.
    • If you plan to be gone for more than 30 days, talk to your doctor about how you can get enough medicine for your trip. Sometimes insurance companies will pay for only a 30-day supply at a time.
    • Ask your doctor about any changes to taking your medicine once you’re in a different time zone. Medicines should be taken according to the time since your last dose, not the local time of day.
    • Ask how to safely store medicine and check whether it needs refrigeration. Keep in mind that extreme temperatures can reduce the effectiveness of many medicines.
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9 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'd be really curious what medications would be banned (at least for amount that one would carry for a cruise) by a given country.

I partially answered my own question, and wow, wouldn't have expected some of these.

https://www.rd.com/list/common-medications-banned-in-other-countries/

I'm surprised as well.  Seems like you can buy a lot of medications with no prescription in other countries which always made me think they were more lenient... I'm curious why some are banned - do they know something we don't????

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1 hour ago, KMSP17 said:

If you have a prescription for something it shouldn't be banned anywhere. Unless medication was supposed to be in quotes.
But not once have I ever been asked about what medications I am bringing. I am curious to know who do you think is going to ask?

 

Typically under normal circumstances it rarely is an issue for cruisers but that doesn't make it smart or legal. 

Where there tends to be problems is when something happens that causes local authorities to be become engaged.  Someone has a medical event and needs to be medically evacuated for example.  Bermuda stands out as a destination that does random on board cabin inspections and the local laws entitles them to.  They are mostly looking for street drugs but in the process of going through your stuff if they find something that isn't legal in Bermuda they have been known to be brutal treating guests like they are drug lords.

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5 hours ago, FoxboroCruiser said:

I'm surprised as well.  Seems like you can buy a lot of medications with no prescription in other countries which always made me think they were more lenient... I'm curious why some are banned - do they know something we don't????

Some of those banned drugs can be used to make illegal drugs (meth). That is why they are no longer fully over the counter, instead they are behind the counter and you need ID to buy  it gets logged into a database so you can’t hit every store nearby to buy.  This is NY, not sure about the rest of the country.

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2 hours ago, KMSP17 said:

If you have a prescription for something it shouldn't be banned anywhere. Unless medication was supposed to be in quotes.
But not once have I ever been asked about what medications I am bringing. I am curious to know who do you think is going to ask?

 

You are assuming I will stay on the ship and just do excursions.  Before Covid I stayed in Japan for a week.  I am going on a Trans-Pacific Cruise and will be staying in Spain for 5 days.  In September I am staying in Prague for 4 days and taking a train from Prague to Copenhagen then staying in Copenhagen for 4 days.  Next year I will be staying in Singapore for a week before that cruise then in Japan for a week before the next cruise and then in Australia for a week before cruising home.  Anytime while traveling around the country, they can check my bags and see my prescription and over the counter medications.  I really do not want to be in jail in Japan because I have medicine that is against their laws.

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