3 ms·
I have self-medicated with antibiotics in the past, when circumstances warranted. It is indeed an access problem (at least for me), but not caused by the cost (
by CWuestefeld 13y ago
I have self-medicated with antibiotics in the past, when circumstances warranted. It is indeed an access problem (at least for me), but not caused by the cost (I have good healthcare insurance). Rather, it's caused primarily by the delay before one can see the doctor. And all evidence suggests that the results of the USA's current healthcare initiatives will exacerbate this waiting problem, and therefore also the self-medication issue as well.
I also think it's a pretty good idea to carry emergency medication when traveling abroad. You won't know where medical care will be available, and indeed how to avail yourself of that care. Having a Z-pack and a couple of other things handy can save a lot of trouble. This has been a big boon to me more than once in the past. One one occasion the wife got a UTI, which is easily treatable with the right meds. On another occasion I helped out a fellow traveler, a doctor as it happens, by giving him an Ace bandage for a sprained ankle.
I actually have some fish meds stored in case of emergency, but have never been desperate enough to use them. The extra stuff I have on hand I acquired while traveling abroad, in countries that have looser restrictions on pharmaceuticals (this used to be Mexico, but they recently tightened up their laws).
- DanBC 13y agoObviously th need to be a bit careful with the meds and the country you're travelling to. Some people are imprisoned for the anti anxiety pill in their bllodstream that they took before the flight. Carrying prescription medications with unclear prescriptions is risky advice unless you're sure about the country you're travelling to.
- klibertp 13y ago> Some people are imprisoned for the anti anxiety pill in their bllodstream that they took before the flight. OMG, where? I need to be sure to never go there, given my random (being treated) phobias and such.
- mzs 13y agoJapan for example is strict about some drugs used to treat ADHD or anxiety in US and Europe, better travel with papers from a doctor.
- DanBC 13y agoThe case I remember is a woman travelling to UAE with diazepam in her blood. I have no idea how they discovered that. I'm unable to find a reference. It was a long time ago, ten years or more. http://wikitravel.org/en/United_Arab_Emirates http://wikitravel.org/en/United_Arab_Emirates has some relevant info.
- grkvlt 13y agohttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4481621.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4481621... A woman was arrested for some passport/visa irregularity and they then took a urine sample and found Codeine and Temazepam in it, which she had been given by a doctor in the UK. They gave her a four year sentence, but she was eventually acquitted, after two months. Harsh.
- CWuestefeld 13y agoGood point. I've never traveled with anything psycho-active, but I can see that some nations have tighter restrictions on such meds. I hope it never gets to the point where I can get in trouble for my motion sickness pills.
- grkvlt 13y ago> [...] imprisoned for the anti anxiety pill in their bloodstream [...] Really? Which countries are now demanding blood samples at the border?