MoneySuperMarket issued an urgent <\/a>warning to millions of Brits that may need to check their first aid kit before they fly to certain countries, with popular medications such as Sudafed or Benadryl posing potential risks.<\/p>\nShe explained that some countries ban medicine like some decongestant which are available over the counter in the UK. Meanwhile some UK holiday hotspots in Europe including Greece and Turkey also restrict painkillers like codeine.<\/p>\n
Ms Gammell explains: \u201cWhen travelling to a different country, many of us want to have that peace of mind that we\u2019ll have access to necessary medications in case we feel unwell away from home.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, with countries such as India and the United Arab Emirates having lists of medications that are forbidden to enter the country, it could cause severe disruption to your holiday or even result in penalties, if you don\u2019t check the medicines you\u2019re travelling with before you fly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The issue is that many people buy first aid kits, and stock them up with medication which they don\u2019t know for sure they can get abroad – to make sure they don\u2019t run out when they need them. Ms Gammell said: \u201cIn countries such as Japan, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates, decongestant tablets that contain Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed, Vicks) or Diphenhydramine (Benadryl, Nytol) are banned.<\/p>\n
\u201cStronger painkillers such as Codeine and Tramadol, are banned in Turkey and various countries across Europe, such as Greece, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. You would also require a prescription for stronger painkillers in most countries where they are not restricted.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor help with digestion, Pepto Bismol and Imodium can also be restricted without a prescription and countries including France, Germany and Italy have regulations for these medicines.\u201d<\/p>\n
In terms of the steps people should you take to ensure you don\u2019t get caught out and she explained: \u201cAhead of travel, it\u2019s always advised to check the country\u2019s list of controlled\/banned medicines. If you\u2019re unsure, check with the country\u2019s embassy or the GOV UK website if you need an additional license to carry these.<\/p>\n
\u201cMedication should always be packed in your hand luggage, and it\u2019s advised to pack slightly more than what\u2019s needed to cover any delays or potential disruption. Some countries have restrictions on the amount you can bring in, usually less than 30 days, so check this before you travel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf your medications are prescribed, always bring your prescription with you. If a medication is prescribed, or over-the-counter, keep the label on and the packaging with you – either packaged correctly or folded up with easy access.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Foreign Office says medications should always be carried in the aircraft cabin: “You must carry medicine containing a controlled drug with you in your hand luggage when entering or leaving the UK. It may be taken away from you at the border if you cannot prove it was prescribed for you.”<\/p>\n
In terms of taking medication out of the UK, officials say: “If you\u2019re taking medicine out of the UK, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether your medicine contains a controlled drug. If it does, check the rules for the country you\u2019re going to with the embassy<\/a> before you travel. You\u2019ll need to prove it\u2019s yours with either a prescription or letter from your doctor.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Many people take a first aid kit and over the counter painkillers and other meds – but a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2310,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[49,48,3057,84,377,900],"class_list":{"0":"post-2309","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-greece","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-medication","13":"tag-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2309\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Uk](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_GettyImages-1865825858.jpg\")
Uk holidaymakers could throw their journeys into turmoil by taking some everyday medications in their baggage, experts say(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n