The Travel Pharmacy

Discuss your medication with your doctor before your depart. If you are allergic to any of the drugs suggested below, there are alternatives.

The suggested drugs are for adults and special conditions and reservations may apply to children.

When travelling you should consider bringing the same medications as you have at home and which you use regularly.
The travel pharmacy should be made with consideration to the length of travel, the destination and the mode.

Drugs which may be appropriate

• Painkillers like paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid and codeine containing drugs
• Nose drops for decongestion for instance drug a common cold
• Eye ointments with antibiotics for eye infections (conjunctivitis). This is particularly important in hot and dry climates
• Antihistamines for allergic reactions for instance after insect bites
• Hydrocortisone ointment (1%) the mildest of the cortisone preparations for sunburns and allergic skin reactions with itching
• Anti-diarrhoea drugs like loperamide
• Self-treatment of malaria where appropriate
• Antibiotics: penicillin for treatment of pneumonia, throat and ear infections and ciprofloxacin or equivalent with diarrhoea and urinary tract infections.

Diarrhoea caused by parasites like amoeba and giardia will not respond to ciprofloxacin and should be treated with metronidazol.

The shelf life of a drug can be seen on the package. The term 0409 means that it is active until April 2009.

Iodine 5% for treatment of superficial wounds and abrasions.