Getting Prescription Meds on the Road
 

Hi all,
I've search the HUBB but can't find an answer, so hopefully it's not my poor searching skills...:blushing:

A while ago I was diagnosed as having Hypertension (high blood pressure) and have been prescribed a combination of Irbesartan and Amlodipine, which I'll need to take for the rest of my days... my question is, how would I go about acquiring these when on the road and away from the UK for ~2 yrs?

We're setting off on our RTW adventure next summer and it's just nagging away at me! :helpsmilie:

Any advice on purchasing prescription meds generally would help (as my partner's a nurse and more than capable of looking after me!).

Paul

Without wishing to get into clinical matters, there are many standard treatment drugs for hypertension, including the two you mention. Knowing generic names, alternative brand names and local names, could be useful.

If you are going to Russia you have no problem at all. Pharmacies (Аптека) do not require prescriptions except for highly powerful or narctoic based substances. They will recognise the English names and will be able to offer generic alternatives - but you will need to know the strength and dosage required.

All you really need to know is what you want, and ask - or show an old packet!

Drugs in the USA
 

Good luck on your trip. In the USA you can go to a walk in clinic, called various names like medi center. They take cash payment and are not as expensive as emergency rooms at the hospitals. Show them your existing medication and there should be no problem. Most major stores like wal-mart have a pharmacy where you can get your perscription filled.

Most countries I've been, lots of medicines could be obtained without any prescriptions.

Like Tony P suggested, get familiar with the medicines you have to take and the equivalents (different names and/or doses) by other brands. Maybe your doctor/specialist can help you with that (BTW I'm told some countries officialy require a medicine-passport with this kind of information).

We found these little guidebooks very handy (very valuable for money).
Not only for general well-being and practical info but they also suggest medicines by their generic names/formulas instead of brandnames, so any local doctor/farmacist can figure what you desire. Although we luckely didn't have to use it personaly, we helped quite a few people with their tips and suggestions.

regards

Be aware that counterfeit medicines are plaguing many countries. Some eastern European countries, especially countries in the former USSR, have a major problem with counterfeits. Many of the former Soviet republics have a proportion of counterfeit medicines which is above 20% of market value — this falls into the developing country range, according to the WHO.

http://www.who.int/medicines/service.../en/index.html

Thanks all
 

Looks like I should be able to get them without too much difficulty, then.

Another worry removed :thumbup1: