Medication, long term supply

[pvcwizard]

I’m looking at a 6 mo to a year trip and take medicine for too many things. Being in the US I go through insurance to pay the cost. Do you get enough to cover the trip time, ship to expected destinations, hope to be able to buy along the way? South America and Australia or Africa.

[Erik_G]

A) First ask if you can get enough for 6 months your normal way. explain that you will go on a long travel.

B) It will not help for cost, But in SA you can buy much more medicine without prescription

C) See local doctor for prescription. You want get it via insurance. It is part of the travel cost. I did that on Colombia

[Alanymarce]

Unless you need really unusual medicines you can find most on your travels; some will not be available in more remote places. You'll find the prices a lot lower than in the USA in most places.

[tohellnback]

I would be careful on where you get your medicine. There are plenty of pharmacies in Colombia and in Ecuador and the prices are dirt cheap without prescriptions, that being said makes you wonder if the prescriptions are Legit. I doubt it because I read an article on what's going on in India with on line sales of pharmaceutic medicine . Apparently there are ten thousand or more Buy on Line pharmaceutical medicine outlets that are not legit they may have god only knows what's in the pill.
I would stay away from the Ma & Pop or the discount drugstores In which there are plenty. Ecuador baffles me a drug store on every street corner. Everyone must be addicted to something I figure
But there are plenty of legit pharmacies stick with the National chains they are very obvious

[Erik_G]

Be careful if some of your medicines are "drug" classified.

I have one of those.
I packed my medicine in a separate box/bag together with prescription that was used to buy them.

You do not want to get cougth as carrying illegal drugs

[Turbofurball]

Copy that on the prescription for restricted substances, also there are medications which exist in different countries that have a generic alternative or are manufactured under different names so you need to have an awareness of what they all are beyond their names.

Unless you're in a large city, some things can take a while to arrive if they're highly specific or rarely prescribed in that country, too.

Lastly, I'd say have an emergency backup plan in case stuff gets confiscated / lost / stolen (like, how long without meds are you still capable of riding a motorbike? Do you need to prepare an emergency note in the local language in case you fall unconscious? etc etc)

[edwardbgill]

Originally Posted by pvcwizard

I’m looking at a 6 mo to a year trip and take medicine for too many things. Being in the US I go through insurance to pay the cost. Do you get enough to cover the trip time, ship to expected destinations, hope to be able to buy along the way? South America and Australia or Africa.

Probably isn't much use for you in the US, but for any UK readers you can get an advance on certain prescriptions via the NHS. I did so for five months away in 2022 and a few months away in 2023 for blood pressure and acid reflux medication. Speak to your GP/pharmacist to do so.