Better be careful about taking prescription pain killers abroad with you! this poor woman has lost her job as a high flyer with Toyota, and is currently in jail in tokyo, because her father sent her Oxycodone tablets in the post for her knee pain! Quoted below. . . . .
Ms. Hamp has been in custody since June 18 and has not been formally charged. The police say they found oxycodone, a powerful and potentially addictive painkiller, in a parcel she received from the United States.
We'll I've done exactly that. It was prior to one of my joints and my husbands father died so we rushed off back to the UK, I went to a UK GP..my mother in laws, actually.. So he knew what had happened within the family, I had a Box with my name labelled on it. And he gave me such a sermon.. and said he wouldn't give me any, then promptly went on to say he was worried about me having withdrawals . I said don't worry about it and walked out.
so I phoned my mother and she went to my GP and he gave her some and she posted them and I received them in 5 days.
now I travel a lot and have taken heavy pain killers with me numerous times, so long as they are in original box etc it's fine. I've declared them and they don't want to know, that's in Singapore Vietnam Kuala Lumpur Australia and UK....
As I need prescription tablets I always make sure I have a new repeat prescription request form on me, this has all information that officials abroad need. Proof of what I am allowed to carry, also if I lose anything I have this to obtain another supply. I have always done this with no problem.
I am unable to understand why most doctors seem to think we should suffer pain and not use the drugs available. I know that in the USA there is a huge amount of use of strong painkillers for reasons other than pain, but for heaven's sake, when they know you have just had a major, painful operation, why refuse to give us the pain killers which can help. And if you are already taking them, by refusing to give you any he is condemning you to withdrawal symptoms which can be not only unpleasant, bu also dangerous. I do think this case of this woman in Japan is a bit ridiculous. It's not as if she was smuggling heroin or cocaine. ..
Oh and the other thing I cant understand is that if it was her father who sent the package, surely he is the guilty party, not her! You cannot actually control what people send you through the post!
Always take your own in a labelled box. It helps if you take your repeat slop with you as evidence that it is prescribed and you can get a repeat
I have travelled extensively over the years and always get a letter from my doctor listing all the drugs that he has prescribed for me. I have never been asked for it but always take it anyway
I sorry for her. Can't she prove its medicine provided by her physician. I don't get it. Why is she in Jail?
I suppose because it's illegal in Japan to import drugs like oxycodone without a special license. . . .
I took oxycodone to Japan when we had to rush to UK for a funeral.
I nearly didn't go because it wasn't long after a shoulder revision that went horribly wrong.
At that time I was more worried about falling on ice since it was winter. Never gave the tablets a thought. It was a stop off on the way there and back.
I imagine they might not be that watchful of someone on a stopover, rather than someone relocating to Japan! Still seems pretty draconian to me to put the poor woman in jail! glad you were OK. Hope the shoulder is OK now? I had an operation on mine, shavingoff part of the bone, and it was a success. . . .
Before we went to Jappan we checked their rules on controlled drugs.
We followed the rules to the letter - wrote to them and got an import licence for my codeine. We had to stipulate exactly how many we were carrying and why.
We also got a doctors letter.
They asked to see all the paperwork in customs and the drugs.
We had no problems.
Very wise . . but quite easy to overlook, I imagine. never been t Japan . .and probably left it too late now :-(
Never too late! Lovely country.
I had help from Tripadvisor when planning my trip.
We can no longer get health cover for holidays. . .so we are rather stuck with europe!
Why can't you get health cover Martinarvelo ?
Not because of the TKR surely?
Oh heavens no! Hubby has had lymphoma, TIA, diabetes, arrythmia, early stage Alzheimer .. . . . . . .no insurance company in spain will give him cover . . . and to tell the truth, at 81 he says twice around the world is enough for him, and he'd rather stay home! I still have the travel bug though . . . . but I do understand him.
Sorry to hear that. That's quite a few things.
Travelling can be stressful enough sometimes even when fairly fit.
It does get harder when you get older too!
Very true! there is a time for eveythig. . and I think our travelling time is over. thank heavens for the computer and 'virtual' travelling!