Berlin – Some people need medication that has narcotic status on a regular basis. If you want to travel to other countries, you should familiarize yourself with the regulations in good time. This is because special rules apply to these medicines. For example, it is important to have a doctor’s prescription, which in turn must be certified by the highest state health authority. Britta Ginnow, head of the drug approval department at the Federal Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI), explains what else needs to be taken into account when traveling with narcotics.
In many cases, people who suffer from chronic severe pain, have had an operation or suffer from anxiety or other psychiatric disorders are prescribed certain narcotics by a doctor. But are narcotics, like other medicines, allowed to be taken with you when you travel to other countries? “No, these drugs have a high potential for addiction and abuse,” explains BPI expert Britta Ginnow. “That’s why their use is state-controlled and precisely recorded in the Narcotics Act (BtMG). This also includes active substances for the treatment of patients suffering from an addiction.” The general rule is: It is only permissible to carry narcotics for personal use. Nobody else can take them with them. In addition, other rules must be observed:
Travel to “Schengen countries”
- It is permitted to take medically prescribed narcotics with you for a period of 30 days. The doctor treating you must fill out an extra certificate for each narcotic. These certificates are then valid for 30 days. Patients must also have this certified by the highest state health authority or a body commissioned by it before starting their journey.
Travel all over the world
- For trips to “non-Schengen countries”, the national regulations of the destination or transit country apply. It is important to get information from the embassy of the respective country well in advance of your trip. Some countries require additional import permits, limit the amount of the narcotic, or even ban it from being carried.
- It is advisable to have a doctor issue a multilingual certificate before the trip, in which the dosage, the name of the active ingredient and the duration of the trip are recorded. This must also be certified by the highest state health authority or a body commissioned by it. The diplomatic representation of the destination country in Germany can provide information on this. The contact addresses can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.
- It is also possible to take narcotics with you for a period of 30 days.
When import is prohibited
- If patients are not allowed to take a certain narcotic with them, they should find out in advance whether the same or an equivalent drug is available in the country they are traveling to and can be prescribed by a doctor there.
- If a doctor’s prescription is not possible in the travel country, patients must apply for an import and export permit from the Federal Opium Agency of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.
Storage while traveling
“Patients must store narcotics separately from other medicines according to paragraph 15 of the BtMG and keep them safe from unauthorized access,” says Britta Ginnow. Most prescription narcotics do not require refrigeration, with a few exceptions. Corresponding information on cooling can be found in the leaflet. On an airplane, narcotics belong in your hand luggage and never in your suitcase.
“Schengen States”
The following countries have joined the Schengen Agreement and are considered “Schengen States”: Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria , Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary.
NOTE: The general advice given here does not constitute a basis for medical self-diagnosis or treatment. They cannot replace a visit to the doctor.
Note: The use of the photo is free of charge with the source Shutterstock/Victor Moussa and in connection with the press release.