Managing Your Medications During Your Vacation

Traveling can be an exciting time! Visiting friends, family or even brand new destinations is always something to look forward to. One of the most important things to prepare for your trip is your medication. When you are taking medicine regularly for a pre-existing condition or even just anticipating an illness, you will need to work the logistics of creating a schedule to administer your medication and keep track of it as well.

What you need is a plan! Use these handy tips below to create a plan before and during your trip to manage your medications during your vacation:

Talk with your doctor about your upcoming trip to see if he will have to create a new schedule for administering your medication. Time zones are a real issue and can foul up some schedules.

For traveling abroad, check the rules and regulations for entry in foreign countries to see if you need special medication for things like malaria or inoculations against certain diseases. Be sure you schedule your doctor's visit in plenty of time to get those issues taken care of.

Talk with your pharmacist about your medications. Some of them make you more susceptible to sun exposure. You will have to make proper plans based on this dilemma.

Have a plan to store your medication. Sometimes extreme heat and humidity or even cold temperatures can effect how your body processes the drug or even render it useless. You may have to purchase a special travel pack that can keep your medication at a relatively stable temperature.

Create a traveling medical history and keep it with you. You will need a list of all of your prescribed medications along with dosages on your doctor's letterhead. When security checks your carry-on bags (always try and keep them with you and not in luggage), they may want proof that your prescriptions are legitimate.

Plan for sun related problems if you are going to a hot location. Sunscreen is important and the higher the SPF the better protection you will have from sunburn and skin cancer risks. You might want to plan for sunburn treatment just in case.

Make your own homemade medical kit to pack in your luggage. Be sure to include pain reliever, diarrhea medication, allergy drugs like anti-histamine, antibiotic ointment for bites and cuts, bandages, ear drops for swimmer's ear, and anything else you deem appropriate. If possible, bring a course of antibiotics from your doctor which could be used for anything from a urinary tract infection to other conditions that may crop up along the way.

For places where mosquitoes thrive, be sure to pack an insect repellant with DEET. This will help you fend off mosquitoes that carry all sorts of diseases from yellow fever to encephalitis.

If you are unsure about some of your preparations, talk it over with your doctor and pharmacist. They can offer guidance in order to help you better prepare your medication management during your travels.

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