Headed to Aotearoa while Traveling with Medication

Part 1

Preparing to leave for New Zealand required a lot of papers and a visa. I felt like a student digging through all these papers looking for one assignment. Thankfully, many of these only took a few minutes to complete. Anytime, I had a concern throughout the process I would reach out to my IES Abroad advisor. She was an incredibly helpful resource from the smallest questions to being able to find out information from other groups I would have struggled to find. My visa process was rapid through New Zealand. 

Overall, this application process went by quickly. However, one of the things I struggled with the most was about how I was going to be able to obtain my medication while abroad. This was my biggest worry. It was important that I talked to my doctor about this when getting my physical exam done (the physical exam was part of my paperwork for my preparation to study abroad). One of the methods someone else I know used to bring medication was “doubling” the dose. Typically, medication can be prescribed for up to a 90 day supply but this is not enough for a full four months. Therefore, if you double it then it may be split in half manually while abroad. My doctor recommended something different for me by using an additional vacation supply. This additional supply of over three months must be declared and inspected when going to New Zealand. Lastly, an option would be to have it imported or getting a prescription while abroad. If you are having trouble with medication then you should reach out to the IES Abroad team. They are always here to help. It is not uncommon for study abroad students to need prescription medication for things like depression or anxiety due to culture shock. As a final form of confirmation, I am reaching out to the Medicine Control team to assure that the method I have chosen is allowed. For other countries, I recommend preparing by keeping in contact with your doctor and affirming your choice with whatever organization is in charge of the regulations. 

As long as you are preparing to go on your adventure you should always ask every question no matter how simple it may seem. This is best in order to save you the trouble of discovering a problem close to a deadline. For example, my flight home got canceled at random by the airline but thankfully I was able to purchase new tickets. Which happened to be in my favor because my dad had selected the wrong day for me to come home so we were able to fix it with no penalty. There will probably be a few hiccups along the way but you have a team of people ready to help and support you.

Part 2

The flight itself was long and several people I know had their bags get left behind. Therefore, remember to pack spare clothes and especially spare underwear. When I arrived in New Zealand I had been given the idea that customs was going to be almost an intense search and interrogation but it was definitely not. Everyone there was kind and understanding and I actually did get stopped to have my bag searched. The dog who checked for food stopped at my bag which did not have food in it so I was super confused but it turned out that a tote bag I had used frequently for groceries inside it was the cause. They sent me on my way without any hassle. Secondly, the medication I brought, which is a prescription supply of three months, went super smoothly and as long as you declare it and give your reasoning you should be fine. They actually did not ask to see my doctor's note but definitely still bring it when you travel abroad.