Dear you,
In the last letter, we figured out how to take things at home.
This time, let's look "on the road" — when you travel abroad, how should medicines and supplements be packed, and how should they be taken, so you can feel at ease?
It is one of my favorite topics: a pharmacist's expertise, meeting everyday travel.
With good preparation, neither your health nor your itinerary has to compromise.
💬 A Lesson at the Airport
Let me tell you about a friend's experience.
On a trip to Japan, she packed her daily medicine — portioned into a pretty little pill organizer — inside her checked luggage, and brought melatonin gummies bought in the U.S., thinking they would help with jet lag.
Then her luggage was delayed a full day before reaching the hotel — and her medicine spent that day traveling inside it. And at immigration, the melatonin gummies drew several extra questions, because in Japan and in Taiwan, melatonin is regulated as a medicine, not a food.
Everything turned out fine in the end — but she said that day taught her more than any packing checklist ever had.
💡 A Little Knowledge for Today | Three Reassuring Principles for Traveling with Medicine
First, a table:
| Topic | The reassuring principle | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Packing | Keep prescription medicine in your carry-on, in its original packaging with the pharmacy bag; bring enough for the trip, plus a few extra days | Luggage gets lost and delayed; medicine cannot wait. The label on the original packaging is the fastest explanation at customs |
| Timing | Go by the interval between doses, then shift gradually to local time after arrival | For once- or twice-daily medicines, the interval usually matters more than the clock; medicines with strict timing (insulin, contraceptives…) need a plan made in advance |
| Entry | Check the destination country's rules before you go | The same ingredient can have a completely different "identity" in another country: food, medicine, or a controlled drug |
Three points to remember
Medicine travels with you — not with your luggage. The U.S. CDC's travel health guidance says the same: keep medicines in your carry-on, in their original labeled containers, carry a medication list and copies of prescriptions, and bring extra in case of delays.
Check the "identity" first. Take Japan, the destination Taiwan travelers visit most: up to one month's supply of prescription medicine and two months of over-the-counter medicine generally need no application; beyond that — or for injectables — apply in advance to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for an Import Confirmation. And the pseudoephedrine found in some cold and sinus medicines is classified in Japan as a stimulant raw material and prohibited — an ordinary remedy at home can become a prohibited item abroad. Supplements are no different — just because something is sold as food in Taiwan does not mean every country sees it that way, as my friend's melatonin gummies showed.
For controlled medicines, one more sheet of paper means much less stress. Some sleeping and anti-anxiety medicines are controlled drugs. Carry a doctor's certificate or a copy of the prescription (English is better); for Schedule 1–3 controlled drugs, Taiwan's FDA also has a statement form you can file in advance. But keep the two sides apart: that statement is filed on Taiwan's side, for Taiwan's customs. The destination has its own rules — in Japan, for example, sleeping and anti-anxiety medicines classed as psychotropics may need a separate Import Confirmation from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, even for just a few days' supply, and a Taiwan-side statement alone will not cover it.
One honest note: rules differ by country, and they change. This letter offers principles and where to check — it cannot replace a final check before departure. The destination's customs, health authorities, and embassy information are the final word.
⏱ One-Minute Wellness
Q: A pill organizer is so convenient — can I travel with one?
At home, yes. Abroad, I don't recommend it.
Once portioned out, pills lose their names. Faced with unlabeled pills, customs officers can only ask more questions — and some ingredients are hard to explain on the spot. The CDC likewise advises keeping medicine in its original packaging when traveling, rather than relying on an organizer.
Original packaging plus the pharmacy bag: a ready-made explanation that needs no translation.
🏠 Take Home with You
Before you leave, five small things:
☐ Keep prescription medicine in your carry-on, with 3–5 extra days' supply
☐ Bring the original packaging and pharmacy bag, not just an organizer
☐ Photograph your medication list and prescription or doctor's certificate into your phone (an English version is even better)
☐ Check the destination's rules once — especially melatonin, sleeping medicines, and the ingredient lists of cold medicines and supplements
☐ For trips across many time zones, ask your pharmacist how to shift your dosing times, and write it down as a small note
Ten extra minutes of checking can save a whole day of good mood.
💌 A Letter to Ourselves, Two Weeks from Now
Now that we've covered how to carry medicine, in the next letter I'll open my own luggage for you:
Next letter — "What Medicines Does a Pharmacist Pack for a Trip Abroad?"
✦ A look inside a pharmacist's travel medicine kit: digestion, colds, allergies and first aid, compartment by compartment
✦ What a pharmacist does not pack: things whose ingredients she can't identify, things of unknown origin, other people's medicine
✦ Packing more isn't the point — packing right is: "no overlapping ingredients" matters more than a stuffed bag
When you know how to pack, a journey feels that much calmer.
Because I have always believed:
Every choice is an act of self-care.
May every journey of yours be safe and smooth, and may your medicine be one less worry.
See you in two weeks.
— ARY
