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TAKING PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS IN TO SINGAPORE AND JAPAN - Be Careful!!


LegalEagle2012
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I occasionally have to take a prescription drug containing a small amount of Codeine and was surprised to note that both Singapore and Japan have quite draconian laws relating to prescription and some over the counter medications.

 

Cold remedies containing Pseudoephedrine - such as Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed etc are all banned in both countries outright as this drug is a pre-cursor to meth-amphetamine. Australia and Middle Eastern countries are also hot on it.

 

Codeine is a narcotic and special permission has to be obtained for Singapore and Japan to take it in and out of the countries.

 

There are also long lists of other banned substances such as ******, ****** etc that are not allowed too.

 

Please make sure you check well before you travel and ensure that you get a prescription, Doctors Letter and any supporting permissions to take with you.

It may not be sufficient just to have a copy of your prescription!!

 

Osfan

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I was reading the same information today and made myself a BIG note to be sure to remove all meds from my purse before getting off the ship for tours. Don't know what to do in Shanghai as we are staying there three days post cruise and I need my meds. Hope the doctor's note and prescription will be ok. I sure don't want to spend years in a jail over there!

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Have been to China 4 times and am there this summer and never had a problem with any meds

Concerned as we will be in Singapore next year.

Same thing was told to us for New Zealand took a letter with and everything and no one ever looked at anything

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Took many medications into Singapore including Panadeine which has codeine in it no problem. I had a doctors letter but they hardly even gave it a look. They just asked if I had a letter. Jennifer

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Well I was just in Singapore, and we carried our prescription documentation with us, but were never asked about drugs.

 

We also carried plenty of ibuprofen, but no cold meds or anything with codeine.

 

I poked around some website, and I can't see anything that says that ibuprofen (Advil), is prohibited.

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Well I was just in Singapore, and we carried our prescription documentation with us, but were never asked about drugs.

 

We also carried plenty of ibuprofen, but no cold meds or anything with codeine.

 

I poked around some website, and I can't see anything that says that ibuprofen (Advil), is prohibited.

 

This PDF http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/dl/qa1.pdf has a lot of questions and answers.

 

From what I understand, you can bring in medications as long as they're for your personal use and it's less than one month supply. Advil is an anti-inflammatory. If you look at the form at the end of the PDF, anti-inflammaroty medication is part of the form request.

 

After reading a lot into this, I think it's okay as long as it's only one month's supply and for your own consumption. I will be calling the number on the form tomorrow to make sure.

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  • 2 years later...
This PDF http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/dl/qa1.pdf has a lot of questions and answers.

 

From what I understand, you can bring in medications as long as they're for your personal use and it's less than one month supply. Advil is an anti-inflammatory. If you look at the form at the end of the PDF, anti-inflammaroty medication is part of the form request.

 

After reading a lot into this, I think it's okay as long as it's only one month's supply and for your own consumption. I will be calling the number on the form tomorrow to make sure.

 

Hi,

 

I keep coming across that link you've also posted, and all I get is a blank (black, actually) webpage.

 

Has that been updated or moved?

 

We know we need that Yakkan Shoumei [pre-approval form] for some meds, and we are emailing the authorities in Japan about others, just in case.

Better safe than sorry!

 

But I can't figure out what is supposed to be on that one webpage. Odd.

I've seen the link in several places on TripAdvisor, too.

 

Thanks for any help.

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Hi,

 

I keep coming across that link you've also posted, and all I get is a blank (black, actually) webpage.

 

.

 

I just clicked on the link and got a .pdf file titled " Q & A

for those who are bringing medicines into Japan" It is 11 pages long

 

Do you have a .pdf reader on your computer?

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Been to both many many times and have never been asked, queried etc about the tablets etc I and my wife take with us.

 

We always make sure we have a letter from the Dr with us on our travels and have never ever been asked to produce this.

 

Call it luck, call it what you like, unless you are carrying commercial amounts or look "suspicious" then I can foresee no problems if you have the tablets in their original containers as issued by the chemist and a Dr's letter.

 

Don't get hung up on this if you can.

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I just clicked on the link and got a .pdf file titled " Q & A

for those who are bringing medicines into Japan" It is 11 pages long

 

Do you have a .pdf reader on your computer?

 

Thanks.

 

Yes, I do read pdf files all the time (and create them, too).

 

I've now tried that link from several very different sources, and this is the only time I get an entirely black page (solid black, not blank), every time. Never seen that before anywhere.

It's just strange.

 

Now that I know the link is still "good", I'll try this on another computer.

 

Thanks very much for the update.

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Thanks.

 

Yes, I do read pdf files all the time (and create them, too).

 

I've now tried that link from several very different sources, and this is the only time I get an entirely black page (solid black, not blank), every time. Never seen that before anywhere.

It's just strange.

 

Now that I know the link is still "good", I'll try this on another computer.

 

Thanks very much for the update.

 

Okay... thanks very much for your help.

It turns out something went wrong with the Adobe software.

I was able to open any pdf file currently saved on my computer, but it turned out I could not open any *newly downloaded* pdf files.

Did a full shut down of computer, rebooted, and all is well again.

 

At first, it looked like it was only this one site with a pdf that wouldn't open, and I figured the link wasn't valid anymore.

 

Thanks again.

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Glad it worked

 

Thanks again.

 

Now... to get started on those forms.

 

I understand that one can now email the forms back and forth.

 

In any event, I'm going to email them first, to clarify just which meds need the permissions.

I don't think most of our combined meds will be a problem, but there are a few I'm not sure about and one that definitely needs pre-approval/permission.

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This matter has been raised before and I have never never heard of anyone having a problem in taking their prescription medicines into Singapore.

 

If there had/has been a problem or incident I am sure we would have heard about it on here.

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We will be disembarking from our ship in Tokyo and taking the ship's airport drop off excursion.

 

Does anyone know if this prescription drug thing will be an issue for us? Will we be going through customs in Tokyo before boarding our bus?

 

Spent a week in Japan 2015. Arrived on ship in Osaka and then traveled by private car, train and plane. As far as I can remember, coming off the ship there was no inspection officers etc. They met us with a rocking marching band (as they did when we arrived in Nagasaki) friendly smiles and lots of welcome. I carried all 20 of my RX 's including ambien, arthritis meds, cold medicines and pain meds. I had a signed copy of my electronic record from Dr. office (electronic record lists medicines for each office visit and Dr. signed page.). In last 5 years have used this for medical record and list and entered New Zealand, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Shanghai, Bali, Thailand, Greece, France, Germany, Iceland, Greenland, Norway and probably a few others. Only place really pulled over was 10 years ago in Australia-- for having Pepto Bismal -- bismuth not allowed in Ozzieland so don't get a tummy ache! I am sort of worried about United Arab Emirates coming up in April 2017. Oh well march on.

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I occasionally have to take a prescription drug containing a small amount of Codeine and was surprised to note that both Singapore and Japan have quite draconian laws relating to prescription and some over the counter medications.

 

Cold remedies containing Pseudoephedrine - such as Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed etc are all banned in both countries outright as this drug is a pre-cursor to meth-amphetamine. Australia and Middle Eastern countries are also hot on it.

 

Codeine is a narcotic and special permission has to be obtained for Singapore and Japan to take it in and out of the countries.

 

There are also long lists of other banned substances such as ******, ****** etc that are not allowed too.

 

Please make sure you check well before you travel and ensure that you get a prescription, Doctors Letter and any supporting permissions to take with you.

It may not be sufficient just to have a copy of your prescription!!

 

Osfan

 

Very helpful,

Can you post a link with the current list of banned prescription drugs for Japan?

 

Thanks,

dog:)

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Very helpful,

Can you post a link with the current list of banned prescription drugs for Japan?

 

I always try to go straight to the source for this kind of information: http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/policy/health-medical/pharmaceuticals/01.html

 

(the US Embassy in Tokyo has some info on their website too, but caution people to rely ONLY on the Japanese govt, not on what information the US embassy has https://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-medimport.html )

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been to Japan 10 times over the last 15 years, the last only 5 weeks ago. Also have been to Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong during the last year.

I always take a letter from my dr but have never been asked about any of my medication nor been asked for a letter. I take quite a supply including cancer medication and needles and syringes plus numerous painkillers, antibiotics, over the counter gastro items, cough cold asthma medication.

I do always tick the bringing in medication on the customs forms and write personal medication and also tell them when handing over the card that it is personal medication. Have been into all these places by both cruise ship and plane. I always go to the something to declare but get waved through. Maybe I have been lucky but never had an issue and never worried about it. Also have been to numerous european cities, again never been questioned.

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Just got back from Singapore a week ago and although I know "the rules are the rules" you would really have to do something to call attention to yourself to have a problem there.

 

Basically a whole ship full of people putting bags through an x-ray machine was the entire process, they weren't checking that closely that I could tell. (I am sure they know how to scan bags but I didn't see anyone pulled aside or even the machine slowing down)

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