Buying medicine overseas

By MARC SHAW

Buying medicine in a strange country is fraught with risks, says a report from the British Consumers' Association.

Association investigators visited 54 pharmacies in Cairo, Barcelona and Istanbul. They described their symptoms: a stomach upset, a common cold or an earache. In 14 cases, appropriate medication was supplied. Of the remaining 40, many medications were contrary to what would have been suggested in Britain and some were dangerous.

Contributing factors included pharmacies being allowed to provide antibiotics, communication gaps and unintelligible labels.

Problems included inappropriate antibiotics being provided for diarrhoea and dangerous and old-fashioned remedies being suggested. Often no advice was provided about hydration in people who had diarrhoea, and penicillin was frequently provided without an allergy history being taken. With ear infections, cortisone and antibiotic eardrops were provided without the ear being examined.

The association recommends that travellers who have misgivings about any medicine bought not take it - find another chemist. Try to speak to the pharmacist, not just an assistant; if the pharmacist speaks no English, see if someone in the shop can translate. If you know what you want, ask for medicine by its generic name. Tell the pharmacist about any allergies you have or if you have experienced adverse reactions, for example, to an antibiotic. If you need to see a doctor, find a recommended English-speaking one.

Carrying a supply of appropriate medication is a wise precaution, but carry documentation so that you can reassure customs officials when crossing borders.