How to organize prescription medicine for an extended (>3 months) travel in Australia and New Zealand?
We're travelling for 7 months (from the UK) to Australia, New Zealand, and back via Australia again (with less than 3 months in each country).
My wife has obtained a 7 month supply of her prescription medicine for the trip; just some blood pressure pills and a mild antidepressant; nothing controversial. (It's probably worth mentioning that both medicines seem to be readily available from online pharmacies in Oz and NZ, but only with a prescription from an doctor in those countries).
However, we've discovered Australia apparently has very strict rules not allowing import of more than 3 months personal supply of prescription drugs. Apparently any excess would be seized and destroyed at customs!
I can't believe we're the first people to be in this situation, so I'm curious how other folks have dealt with it?
Options which occur to me:
- Find a doctor in our two entry points to Australia (Sydney and Perth) who can prescribe a few months supply of the needed drug to top up the 3 months supply we could take initially. (Any recommendations for specific services we could contact in advance and line things up with would be welcome).
- Ship 4 months supply of medicine from the UK directly to our friends in NZ (probably in 2 separate less-than-3-months-each batches). However the NZ rules on "reasonable excuse" for importing medicines still seem to need a letter from an NZ doctor, so I'm pretty dubious about this one.
but maybe there are other possibilities we haven't thought of or discovered.
Outcome: I've added a comment on Mark's answer below on how this turned out in the end. We've heard from another doctor at the same practice that my wife shouldn't actually have been prescribed more than 3 months medication in the first place, and of course that would have forced us down Mark's suggested route of resupplying a couple of times along the way. However, after talking to someone very helpful at NZ's "medsafe" it does turn out to be possible to ship the excess supply she has got hold of to NZ to await our arrival (subject to complying with various things about documentation and shipping).
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How do I organize my travel medications?
Keep your medication in its original containers and pack all medications together in a clear plastic bag stowed in your carry-on luggage. Liquid medicines can be stored in your carry-on luggage, even if they are in containers exceeding 3.4 oz: they are exempt from the TSA's rule regarding carry-on liquids.Can you fill Australian prescriptions in New Zealand?
You can legally bring three-months worth of prescribed medication into New Zealand. Any more and you will need a note from your doctor to show at Biosecurity. Find out more in Arrival Advice: Biosecurity and Customs in New Zealand. Prescription medication is the same price in all pharmacies in New Zealand.How do you store prescription drugs long term?
Storing Medications Ask your doctor for pill or tablet medications because they will last longer than a liquid form. Then, vacuum seal the pills and store them in a cool, dry place to preserve effectiveness as long as possible. Dr. Rhodes says pills can last 1 to 2 years beyond the expiration date in these conditions.Can I get more than 3 months of prescription?
A standard prescription is valid for 6 months from the date on the prescription, unless the medicine prescribed contains a controlled medicine. The date on the prescription can be: the date it was signed by the health professional who issued it, or.MOM 3 (Storage of Medication) - Introduction
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