Medication for camino

[courtneyfrancis42]

I will be starting my first Camino in June.

I have Addison’s disease which requires daily steroid meds. I know I could probably buy meds on the Camino and I plan to have scripts, but I cannot put myself in a position to be without my meds so I’m bringing 6 weeks worth.

Has anyone else been in this situation? I’m curious about using the luggage transfer service or correos and only carrying an additional week of meds.

Any other ideas? Thanks so much.

 

[Former member 92300]

I bring plenty of my prescription medications from home. I do take them out of their original containers though and put them in little medication pouches (tiny ziplock baggies) and label them according to what is in each medication pouch. Never a problem.

I personally would never use a transfer service for my necessary prescription medications. Even my CPAP - I just made sure I had a travel size machine so I could carry it with me. I only transferred my bag once when I had an injury and was going to do a steep climb/descent that day. But transfer service is always an option.

 

[J Willhaus]

We carry all our medications with us and our CPAP machines. There has been a few threads lately about getting medications in Spain, but agree that I would not want to be caught short on something I needed.

 

[HadjiTom]

Carried my insulin in water based evaporation pouches which makes it rather heavy and had to resort to putting some in my luggage which was very efficiently transported to each hotel by the CORREOS on the last part of the French.

 

[williamlittig]

I will be starting my first Camino in June.

I have Addison’s disease which requires daily steroid meds. I know I could probably buy meds on the Camino and I plan to have scripts, but I cannot put myself in a position to be without my meds so I’m bringing 6 weeks worth.

Has anyone else been in this situation? I’m curious about using the luggage transfer service or correos and only carrying an additional week of meds.

Any other ideas? Thanks so much.

If repacking prescription take a picture of the labels, send a copy to your Email. Get a clear translation of your meds. Shipping valuables is at your own risk, consider bringing a bright colored nylon laundry for your shipped pack, write your name "LARGE" on it, tie it tight, Good luck! Ultreya!

 

[Gringazolana]

Hi there! Good on you for deciding to walk even loaded with meds! I will be doing my first Camino next year. I have never been to Spain but I have traveled a lot and my recommendation for anybody hauling meds (like I always do!) is take a picture of the label on the bottle. Some immigration people can be stinky about medicines not in the original containers. Once I was questioned about this but I had the meds in the original prescription bottles. (Ironically enough this happened between Canada and the US, a border I have crossed many, many times!) But these days I sort all my pills into daily doses. The reason I recommend having a picture of the prescription label is not just for rude immigration officers, however. If you run out, or lose them, or have some type of medical emergency, those pictures (even better if printed out and carried in your passport!) can be shown to a pharmacist who can consult the PDR and get you whatever the closest thing is locally. Any doctor you may need to see along the way can quickly see what you’re taking, how much, and how often.
Buen camino!!

 

[Former member 92300]

You know - another solution for getting through immigration/customs is to bring them in their original containers - and dispose of containers upon arrival. I have done that in the past too. That way they are in the original container with original prescription label on arrival. Then I have the labelled ziplock medication baggies to transfer the medications into. And yes - having a photocopy of the original label is always a good idea. Sometimes I have a printout, sometimes I have it simply on my phone or an online drive that I can access from my phone.

 

[trecile]

You know - another solution for getting through immigration/customs is to bring them in their original containers - and dispose of containers upon arrival. I have done that in the past too. That way they are in the original container with original prescription label on arrival. Then I have the labelled ziplock medication baggies to transfer the medications into. And yes - having a photocopy of the original label is always a good idea. Sometimes I have a printout, sometimes I have it simply on my phone or an online drive that I can access from my phone.

I have never had anyone look at my medications when going through immigration/customs. I suppose that it can happen, but it's not something I worry about.

 

[Former member 92300]

I have never had anyone look at my medications when going through immigration/customs. I suppose that it can happen, but it's not something I worry about.

Yes, I agree and stated in a previous response that I have never had an issue taking medications in ziplock baggies. But some people are more concerned and I do know that sometimes they do ask! Really depends on who you are dealing with at security (just like the hiking poles which we all know aren't supposed to be allowed in Carry On). It also matters more if you are taking large amounts of medications. But for a <3 month trip - unless your medication cabinet looks like a pharmacy - this is unlikely to be an issue!

 

[trecile]

Yes, I agree and stated in a previous response that I have never had an issue taking medications in ziplock baggies. But some people are more concerned and I do know that sometimes they do ask! Really depends on who you are dealing with at security (just like the hiking poles which we all know aren't supposed to be allowed in Carry On). It also matters more if you are taking large amounts of medications. But for a <3 month trip - unless your medication cabinet looks like a pharmacy - this is unlikely to be an issue!

Yes, you are right. If I were extra concerned I would still package up my meds in daily pill bags and also bring the original (empty) bottles or the pharmacy printout. My pharmacy printout always has a description of the medication.

 

[peregrina2000]

@ebrandt had a thread a few months ago about how to make sure she could fill her prescriptions in Spain. This is what she found out. I can’t find any further follow-up. But since she is walking right now and checks in regularly to post from the Vasco, maybe she will give us an update!

Maybe carrying 6 weeks worth of medication won’t be too cumbersome for the OP, but as as general matter, it’d be great to get good information on how to fill US prescriptions in Spain. I have always been able to show my medicine bottle to the pharmacist and get a refill, but that is not, shall we say, a “regular” process and relies on the goodwill of the pharmacist.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

When pilgrims are traveling from Aotearoa New Zealand or Australia and transiting Dubai then they need to take extra care to have their prescription medicines in the original container and if there are pain medications then they need to check the quantity permitted at this transit point. See this article as an example https://www.independent.co.uk/trave...an-you-take-law-illegal-customs-a8143916.html