All countries around the world have different sets of rules and regulations about carrying medications while entering the country. It is to prevent illegal drug trafficking across the borders. It is illegal to transport drugs in India. While there may arise concerns when you carry a significant amount of dosages; it is not illegal to travel with the medication which is prescribed for you by an official practitioner. By adhering to certain easy and standard procedures, you can smoothly travel with medication to India.
These are certain things you need to do if you want to carry your medication to India:
Carry a Prescription
In most of the countries, you require a prescription from a practicing medical professional, to legally buy medicines. But in some countries, including India, even though it is mandatory according to the law, you can still easily get medicines without prescriptions. But when you cross international borders, make sure to carry the prescription of your doctor, to prove your medical condition and the requirement for transporting the medicines. It’s a small step to be taken to avoid a lot of confusion at the airport. At Indian immigration, unless they notice something suspicious about your documents or baggage, they will not hinder your passage, usually. But in case they ask you about your requirement for the medicines, having a valid reason with a prescription to prove will prevent further questions. This will help you travel with medication to India.
Do Your Research
If you are carrying medication to India, it is advisable to do some research before you start packing. It is to make sure that the medicines you carry are legal and not banned in India. Many countries have a list of drugs, quantities of certain drugs and the combinations of certain drugs which are prevented. The Indian Ministry of Health and Welfare has officially declared a list of 344 combinations of drugs which are banned in India after testing their efficacy. If you are using a combination of different drugs, please visit this site to make sure that the drugs you are carrying are legal in India.
Do Not Carry Excess Dosages
Usually, if the quantity of medicine you carry is not too much, they do not even bother to stop you. People usually might require some aspirin or cough syrup etc. during travel for headaches or cold. Traveling to destinations experiencing varied climates might cause these small health troubles and you might not want to run to a doctor just after landing India. It’s only precautious to keep a subtle amount of your medicines with you. Also, if you are suffering from other medical conditions, you will need to carry your prescribed dosage. But please ensure that you only carry sufficient quantity in accordance with the prescription and the duration of the stay for your consumption when you travel with medication to India. If you are carrying an abnormal quantity which is disproportionate to your needs, you might invite unwanted attention from the security officers which might lead to prolonged questioning, confusions and delay. Sometimes, if your clarifications do not satisfy them, your medications might even get confiscated. Hence, kindly avoid carrying a large number of medications.
Read in detail about the Emergency medicines available in a flight
Letter from a Practitioner
If you anticipate that you might stay in India for longer and you need extra medication, you might end up carrying a little higher quantity. During such instances, in addition to the prescription, a letter describing your condition, the frequency of use, availability etc. from your practitioner will make sense to the officials and it is wise to have it with you while traveling with medication to India.
Liquid Medicine
Unless you have to consume your medication during the travel, avoid liquid medicines from the cabin baggage. At the airport security check, they usually scan your bags and make you throw away the water bottles even. So, if you do not immediately require it, keep the liquid drugs in your check-in baggage carefully. This will make your travel with medication to India easier.
Fair Sized Medical Kit
If you require all your medicines including the tablets and liquids at the same place, keep all of them together, in a fairly sized bag. It can be your medical kit. Include your prescriptions and letter from the practitioner also in the kit. In case you’re asked, you can open only that pouch and show the officers the contents without disturbing your other luggage. But, you might not need to carry it outside or show it to the officers unless asked as it might take up your time at every checking point.
Do Not Panic
When you travel with medication to India, if you’re stopped and questioned at the airport, don’t be alarmed. It is indeed a common occurrence at immigration counters. Instead, show your prescription and the letter from your doctor. State your medical condition and necessity. Also convey to them why you had to carry the quantity you are, with respect to the length of your stay and the frequency of consumption. Be composed. Do not worry; the immigration officers are just doing their job. In most of the cases, they will not even throw out the medicines if they’re convinced with your explanation. They will let you keep them. Just corporate with them and be nice. With all your travel planning, jetlag, airports ques, and luggage troubles, you must be exhausted. Being stopped during the immigration process separately and examined by a security officer might be the last thing you want now during your travel with medication to India. But do not lose your cool at this point because it will only cause you more trouble. Handle the matter gently and you are good to go.
These are the basic easy practices you can adhere to when you are travelling with medication to India. It will make your journey easier and carefree. Who will not love a carefree vacation in an exotic destination?
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