How Can I Access Diabetes Medication While Overseas/Travelling?

[Steve1234]

Hi,

I am lucky enough to work completely remotely and, at the end of the summer, I am thinking about going somewhere sunny (Thailand/Bhali etc.) to see the winter out while continuing to work. Apart from friends and family, the only thing tying me to the UK is my type 2 diabetes, specifically access to medications and doctors/nurses appointments.

I was wondering if anyone here had actually gone aboard for an extended amount of time and how they dealt with their diabetes.

Is it possible to get a UK prescription filled while aboard?

Is it possible to get a prescription signed off by my UK doctor while I am aboard and get it the medication locally? I think to do this, I would need to have a checkup/blood test done privately overseas but I can find no information on it.

I do not take insulin and I am not concerned about the dietary aspect of managing my diabetes as it is very well controlled. I am just trying to work out the logistics of getting my medications while overseas.

If anyone has any experience with this, I would very much appreciate your advise.

 

[m1dnc]

I routinely spend the winter in the tropics, but remain domiciled in the UK.

As far as availability (and allowability, for that matter, as some drugs are banned in some countries) of medicines overseas is concerned, each country is different and you will have to check on a country-by-country basis. In my case I usually take enough supplies with me to cover my whole trip, but you can never account for emergencies or enforced changes. For example, last November I had a severe allergic reaction to the ACE inhibitor I had been taking for several years and ended up in the local hospital. The doctors there told me I should never take any ACE inhibitor again. Fortunately I am registered with a local doctor and was able to see him and get an alternative, which I had to pay for of course.

The government website

Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK

Get advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.

www.gov.uk

is a good starting off point for getting information, but I would try to get specific details from a local source.

 

[helli]

Wow! That sounds fun.

My understanding is that NHS prescriptions are for UK residence. I am not sure how long you can remain out of the country before it affects your residency as seen by the NHS but pretty sure it is only a few months.

 

[Steve1234]

I routinely spend the winter in the tropics, but remain domiciled in the UK.

As far as availability (and allowability, for that matter, as some drugs are banned in some countries) of medicines overseas is concerned, each country is different and you will have to check on a country-by-country basis. In my case I usually take enough supplies with me to cover my whole trip, but you can never account for emergencies or enforced changes. For example, last November I had a severe allergic reaction to the ACE inhibitor I had been taking for several years and ended up in the local hospital. The doctors there told me I should never take any ACE inhibitor again. Fortunately I am registered with a local doctor and was able to see him and get an alternative, which I had to pay for of course.

The government website

Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK

Get advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.

www.gov.uk

is a good starting off point for getting information, but I would try to get specific details from a local source.

Thanks for the information, it is really good to hear that it is actually possible.
I may resort to limiting the length of my stay based on how many days supply of meds I have (3 Months Max. per prescription). It would be great to be able to travel without knowing there is a return date. I wonder how people go traveling for a year if they need ongoing medication?
I will check out that link as it looks really useful.
Thanks

 

[Steve1234]

Wow! That sounds fun.

My understanding is that NHS prescriptions are for UK residence. I am not sure how long you can remain out of the country before it affects your residency as seen by the NHS but pretty sure it is only a few months.

Thanks Helli,
I will look into that. Could be very important!

 

[Deleted member 21371]

I believe you can get a prescription for three months worth of you are holidaying.
Having said that, my clinics online system accepts repeat requests after three weeks, so I've built about three in front to cover me anyway.

 

[Steve1234]

I believe you can get a prescription for three months worth of you are holidaying.
Having said that, my clinics online system accepts repeat requests after three weeks, so I've built about three in front to cover me anyway.

Hi Travellor,
I was planning to do that but my GP surgery are pretty useless and just give me whatever quantity they fancy on the day.
I will try and build up a batch if I can as this would be the easiest approach.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[eggyg]

Just as an aside, have you looked into travel insurance? If you take out an annual policy you may find you have a 90 day stay limit at any time within the year. Might be worth checking that out and it may make the medication side easier. I get two months meds at a time, surely they could add another month’s worth on. I travelled for six weeks in 2019 and got extra meds incase of emergencies, including insulin, no problem. Good luck and happy travels.