A first aid kit is essential on any travel, but most travellers aren’t sure precisely what they should take with them or if they can take their medicine abroad.
Medicines which are generally available over-the-counter in the traveller’s home country may be challenging to find or unavailable in other countries.
Kits should be customised to the destination and individual, with enough supplies to manage pre-existing conditions and to manage minor injuries and illnesses such as diarrhoea, headaches, allergies, etc.
Therefore I decided to make a list on what you could include in your basic travel aid kit.
– Analgesics for pain relief like paracetamol, ibuprofen or other similar drugs.
– Antibiotics if prescribed by a health care professional.
– Antihistamines: anti-allergy tablets/cream for insects bites.
– Diarrhoea medicine
– Stomach meds
– Anti-motion sickness medicine
– Constipation treatment
– Cough drops, cough suppressant or expectorant
– Decongestant
– Insect repellent
– Anti-fungal cream
Also, you can prepare an aid kit in case you injure yourself:
– Band-aids
– Blister Strips
– Wound/liquid disinfectant solution
And don’t forget to add extra supplies of any regular/prescribed medicines on your handbags in case your luggage is lost.
A copy of a prescription for medicines and a letter from the doctor detailing the actual drug names rather than brand names is not mandatory. Still, it might help for border control checks, or if medicines need replacing or medical help is required.
Tips:
Try to take tablets instead of liquids, gels and creams. Go for sachets and flat-packed tablets rather than tubes and bottles as it takes less space. Opt for travel-size packaging or sample size products that you can take with you on your trip. Remove items from boxes to save space. However, remove items from larger containers only if they are labelled and individually packaged. Loose pills are not advisable as you cannot prove what it is. Liquids in containers larger than 100ml generally cannot go through security even if the container is only part full. International rules differ, so contact the embassy for the country you’re visiting here is a full list of foreign embassies in the UK.Remember, only take enough for what you think you might need or until you’re able to find a pharmacy to replenish.
Enjoy your holiday!
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