Travel Health Precautions
How do I pack prescription drugs when I travel?
Very often traveling with prescription drugs is not that big of a deal. If you're traveling with narcotic type of drugs, say, some pain medicine, some of the more stronger pain medication, morphine or something, then you're probably going to need the prescription with you. You might even want to have a doctor's note with you to say that it's OK for you to have that medication. But if you're traveling with the regular type of medication, then you're typically OK. A lot of times what I do, is I will make copies of my prescriptons, or copies of the labels on my bottle and I'll have those with me because a lot of times I will put the drugs that I need for that trip into one bottle. I want to make sure that I have my prescription numbers, the pharmacy number, and the doctor's number in case I'm questioned.
Should my prescription drugs go in my checked luggage or my carry on?
The best thing to do is to keep your prescription drugs with you, and that means on your carry on luggage. If your luggage is lost and you need a prescription, you're going to want to have it handy. Sometimes it can be difficult to get a refill, particularly if you're travelling internationally. The best thing to do is to keep those drugs with you.
Should I bring extra prescription drugs with me on my long vacation?
Well, when you're travelling on a long vacation, you want to make sure that you have enough medication that's going to meet your needs. And typically what I do is I add a few extra pills, maybe another week's worth just in case my trip gets extended or there's some unexpected event that comes up. This is because you want to make sure that you do have your prescriptions with you just in case you need them.
What if I run out of my prescription drug while away from home?
If you're traveling overseas and you lose your prescriptions or you run out of them, then you typically have to go to a doctor. That doctor might have to call your home doctor or might have to receive a fax from the home doctor, and then they can typically refill your prescription for you.
How can I get the right prescription drugs when I'm abroad?
That's something that you have to be very careful with, because often the U.S. version of a drug is not the same as an overseas version. A lot of times the U.S. version might be held up to a higher level of regulation than the overseas level. The best thing is to contact your doctor at home and see what they recommend. Very often they can check a database that has available drugs for the country that you're traveling in, and they can recommend something that might be suitable for you.
Will I run into trouble getting my prescription drugs through customs?
Most people will not have difficulty travelling through customs with their prescription drugs. What I suggest is having a copy of your label, maybe having a note from your doctor, and if they're the normal type of drugs that normal people take in a normal quantity, if you have 500 tablets of Viagra, then they might question you. But if it's just your every day type of drug that people take then you're not going to have very much trouble.
What is a 'vaccination'?
Basically, a vaccination is an innoculation to diseases that are commonly found throughout the world. So for example, if you are traveling to Africa or some parts of Asia, you might find that you might be exposed to Malaria. So getting a vaccination for malaria is one way to protect yourself. You know what a vaccination is, is they are actually shooting that virus into you. So if you are getting a vaccination for Malaria, they are actually shooting that into your system so you can build up immunity. And one of the things that might happen right after getting the vaccination or even maybe for a few days is you might feel a little bit of sickness. Sometimes you might even feel a fever. So it is good to get your vaccinations a few days or maybe a week or so before you plan to travel.
When do I need a vaccination?
When you want to consider getting a vaccination is when you're travelling to areas that maybe you haven't travelled to before, or areas that are not as developed as we might find in the U.S. or in parts of Europe. And this can include areas in Africa, areas in Asia, some of the areas in Eastern Africa, and basically you want to make sure that you're immune to places where they have such things as yellow fever, malaria, measles, and mumps. So you want to make sure that you're well protected against those types of diseases.
How can I find out which countries require a vaccination?
The best way to find out what countries require vaccinations is to go to the website for the Center of Disease Control, which is CDC.gov. On there you can look at the country you are travelling to and they will tell you what vaccinations they require and what type of diseases you might be exposed to.
Are there any vaccinations I should consider just to be safe?
If you're going to do a lot of international travel, it's a good idea to maybe get a vaccination for Malaria, also for Yellow Fever. You also want to make sure that you're up to date with your Mumps and your Measles vaccinations.
How can I stay healthy when I travel?
One of the secrets to stay healthy while you are traveling is to watch what you are eating. Although there is a lot of great culinary delights when you are traveling, you want to make sure that you are eating the right food. A lot of times the street vendors will have food that looks very good, but it might have bacteria levels that your body is not accustomed to. So, you might want to stay away from that and if you are going to explore the culinary design, do it in a nice restaurant that you feel is an established restaurant, but also be cautious about some produce because a lot of times produce is washed in water that might be contaminated and not purified, and it will go on the lettuce. It will go on the vegetables and even the fruits. So, you want to make sure that you are careful because you can get sick from that. And of course, another thing is to consider the water you are drinking because a lot of times the water is not purified and if you are not drinking the proper water that can make you sick as well. Even use purified water, a bottle of water, on your toothbrush, so when you brush your teeth you have it on there, and rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth as well. That way you can be drinking the right water.
How do foreign hospitals compare to those in the US?
A lot of good hospitals through out the world do provide a very good level of healthcare, particular in the westernized countries and even in some of the more populated Asian countries. But, you do have to be careful that some hospitals don't have the same standards that we have within the US. One of the things a lot of travelers w ill do, if they are in an emergency situation they'll go to the nearest hospital. A lot of times what you can do, and this actually where your credit card comes in handy, your credit card, actually, one of the premium cards if you have them, they'll actually air lift you or they'll take you to a US type of hospital. If you are in an emergency situation get to the nearest hospital and have someone contact your credit card, your healthcare company and see if they can get you transferred to a US type hospital; and very often they'll provide transportation and get you there as soon as possible.
