Taking medication to Australia

[aclivity]

Question on behalf of my parents, not sure where to go for chapter and verse advice as it crosses health and travel ...

My parents are planning to spend a couple of months in Australia next year, they used to live out there and have gone out every few years since they retired. The difference is that their health is gradually failing, dad had a heart attack 18 months ago and is on medication since then, he also has medication for diabetes and various other ailments, mum is similarly on a cocktail of medication each day. They reckon taking enough medication to cover the entire stay would take up half of their baggage weight allowance, and are looking for more information.

SO what are their options?

• I suggested a parcel post option, sending 6 weeks worth of medications by post and just taking two weeks worth with them, but that does have some risks - if they go missing, they may have little time to source all of them locally and it may cause them to have to come home early.
• arranging a local supplier, although with the nature of medications can they be sure that all of the medication they want is available? This could be a significant cost, as well, as I would not expect medications that the NHS subsidise in the UK to be cheap out there. Not that cost should be a factor, really - they are paying for the holiday and this should be factored into the cost.
• taking some in hand luggage - perhaps a weeks worth in each - and paying for extra cabin baggage allowance? Of course, this still leaves them with a case full of prescription medications to haul round with them.

I'm sure they aren't the first medically doped up people to do this sort of trip, and I have suggested they talk to their GP in the first instance, but they get a bit wound up about stuff so I'd like to help if I can!

[jimmyjimjim]

Do they really take 1/2 lb of drugs a day? This seems high.

[aclivity]

jimmyjimjim said:

Do they really take 1/2 lb of drugs a day? This seems high.

I don't know - I suspect there was some exaggeration on my dad's part, but whenever I have been over at their house for a meal it looks like a smarty dish each next to their plates. He may have been including the packaging in the calculation, as I would have thought that taking pills in press out packets without the accompanying packaging might look a little suspicious. He may have meant "half a suitcase full" rather than "half a baggage weight"?

[Norfolkit]

Can't really believe they'll take up that much room if the packaging is dumped, even for two months worth, make damn sure they take a copy of a prescription for each type though to show to customs in Oz.

If they really are on a bucketful a day, could their GP not help and issue some prescriptions they can "cash" while they're there. (I know we have a reciprocal health care arrangement with Oz, I assume this covers drugs)

Edited by Norfolkit on Friday 5th October 18:44