Obtaining ADHD Medication When Traveling Overseas

Suppose you would like to travel overseas, either for work or for pleasure, but you have to take your ADHD medication with you.  Is that even possible?  This article deals with what you can bring with you, what you have to leave behind, and what you can get a prescription for abroad.

Tourism
Most countries will allow a limited supply of medications from a foreign country provided that the medication you are bringing is (1) limited in quantity (limits may be country, drug, or length of stay  specific) (2) for yourself and not someone else , and (3) on your person.  You have to be very careful about this.  If you bring the wrong meds, or the wrong quantities, or break some other rule, you could be imprisoned for drug smuggling, which can have severe penalties.  I recommend checking with the embassy of the country concerned to be sure before you bring your medication outside of the country.

Additionally, TSA has its own rules about traveling domestically with medication which you should also be aware of. These rules change depending on existing threats and so its best to check the TSA website for up to date information.  Individual states also have rules you need to comply with.

Long term stays
It can be very tricky to get ADHD medication if you do something like stay overseas for more than 3 months for work, for example. The best possible scenario is that you see a doctor overseas and get your prescription there.  However, not all medications available in the United States are available overseas.  Although many countries may have Ritalin, most do not have the wide range of different dosages or delivery systems (such as Concerta) that are available in the United States.  Also the criteria for diagnosis may be different, so that there is no guarantee you will meet diagnostic criteria overseas.

If you have a child who requires ADHD medication for school, it is possible that the school overseas may be more accomodating than your school in the US (the opposite is also true), so that your child will not need medication.  Typically this would be with younger children who mostly have trouble sitting still, and who do not need medication on the weekend.  Most older children who need medication will find the expectations for sitting still will probably be the same.

What you should NOT do is have your medication shipped from the United States.  This would be considered drug smuggling and could get you in a heap of legal trouble.

You must consider the possibility of needing to return to the US to see your doctor and obtain your prescription, carrying only a limited amount of medication back with you every so often.  This could become an issue for your employer, your budget, and/or your doctor, so before committing to a lengthy overseas stay, be sure to know all the relevant regulations.

Supplements

Not all medications and supplements retain their designations as prescription medications and/or supplements overseas.  All stimulants are likely to be regulated as prescription only if they are allowed at all in most countries.  However, supplements like CBD or fish oil which are regulated as over the counter supplements may require a physician's prescription or even be illegal to possess in other countries.  Do your research carefully before travel.