Beyond - Any advice on prescriptions lost from my luggage?

[SailingHigher]

It is still Friday and the Beyond will dock in Civitavecchia on Monday, Oct. 3. This morning, I discovered that my second week of prescription medicines were lost from my luggage. (My best guess is that I left them behind in our Barcelona hotel room.) The Beyond’s doctor was unable to see me until late this afternoon. Sadly, the ship does not stock the antidepressant I take each day. (I’m fine as to my other medicines.) The doctor emailed the port authority in Messina and confirmed at 7 p.m. his suspicion that the medication was restricted in Europe and could not be delivered to the ship. He suggested walking into a farmacia in Sicily and pleading for a 7-day supply. I was able to obtain a JPG of my prescription label from my U.S. pharmacist and a PDF list of current medications from my doctor’s office.

 

Is this suggestion likely to work or will I more likely waste my time on a Saturday morning trying different pharmacies? (All pharmacies are closed on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays.)  I considered trying a hospital emergency room, but travel insurance won’t cover that. The policy only covers exams/prescriptions for illnesses that occur during the trip. I’m open to suggestions. Many thanks for considering this predicament with me and suggesting solutions.   

[njguy_south]

My mother once misplaced a prescription. A doctor in Amsterdam called her physician, and he wrote a prescription, which we filled at a pharmacy. She had to pay the full amount. It was MUCH cheaper than at home. She then submitted the bill to her insurance at home, and they reimbursed her.

[Lastdance]

That is a difficult lesson to learn; we put ours in our carryon, along with having an MDVIP doctor.  Have you tried researching what to do?  So sorry, as some meds you cannot just stop taking.  I hope you find the answer that helps.

[Shipswap]

Is there any chance that you can contact the hotel and see if it is possible to forward the lost medication to the ship?

[SailingHigher]

3 minutes ago, Shipswap said:

Is there any chance that you can contact the hotel and see if it is possible to forward the lost medication to the ship?

Thanks. That failed. They said they didn’t find it and added that even if they did, it could not get  to us over the weekend before we fly on Monday afternoon. Nothing much happens over here on Sundays. And my experience with hotels finding things left in rooms has never been good. (Same with leaving things behind in airplanes.)   

[Guindalf]

6 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

That is a difficult lesson to learn; we put ours in our carryon, along with having an MDVIP doctor.  Have you tried researching what to do?  So sorry, as some meds you cannot just stop taking.  I hope you find the answer that helps.

 

I agree. All advice is to put medication in your carry-on. I don't want to beat you up about it, because a) it's not my business and b) I'm sure you learned from it! 

4 minutes ago, Shipswap said:

Is there any chance that you can contact the hotel and see if it is possible to forward the lost medication to the ship?

 

This would be my first move. Being medication, it should carry a little more weight than, say, a lost charger!

 

 

[Babr]

Does your travel insurance have an emergency assistance provision? Many policies offer non-insurance worldwide assistance for things like this. The number will be listed on the cover page of your insurance documents.

[SailingHigher]

8 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

That is a difficult lesson to learn; we put ours in our carryon, along with having an MDVIP doctor.  Have you tried researching what to do?  So sorry, as some meds you cannot just stop taking.  I hope you find the answer that helps.

I have high confidence that the medications started the trip in my carryon. That’s where my first week’s supply was along with other essentials. If I get home and find it on the counter, I’ll eat crow and kick myself even harder. Thanks for the kind wishes and thoughts. 

[Lastdance]

2 minutes ago, SailingHigher said:

I have high confidence that the medications started the trip in my carryon. That’s where my first week’s supply was along with other essentials. If I get home and find it on the counter, I’ll eat crow and kick myself even harder. Thanks for the kind wishes and thoughts. 

It is just so frustrating when you cannot find something that is so important!  None of us is perfect!  Sure hope you find a decent solution.  

Edited September 30, 2022 by Lastdance

[SailingHigher]

10 minutes ago, Babr said:

Does your travel insurance have an emergency assistance provision? Many policies offer non-insurance worldwide assistance for things like this. The number will be listed on the cover page of your insurance documents.

Thanks. I called the emergency assistance number at lunch. That’s how I learned the policy wouldn’t pay for prescriptions for pre-existing conditions or a hospital exam to get a new prescription. (The emergency medical person I spoke to was working from home with several pets fighting in his living room. It at least provided comic relief and he kindly emailed me a claim form for the weather-related canceled private shore excursions.) He had nothing helpful to add concerning overseas pharmacies. 

Edited September 30, 2022 by SailingHigher

[SailingHigher]

3 minutes ago, Lastdance said:

It is just so frustrating when you cannot find something that is so important!  None of us is perfect!

Agreed. I have all my gadgets and chargers. I’m only missing a week’s worth of medicine and two cruisecard lanyards that I think we would have never used. My DW is kicking herself because like all loving spouses, she double checks all the hotel drawers, nooks and crannies where her forgetful husband might leave something behind. She says she was too jet-lagged to look this time. She is blameless and has a lovely new ring from the Effy boutique with no objection from me. 🙃  

[Babr]

1 minute ago, SailingHigher said:

Thanks. I called the emergency assistance number at lunch. That’s hoe I learned the policy wouldn’t pay for prescriptions for pre-existing conditions or a hospital exam to get a new prescription. (The emergency medical person I spoke to was working from home with several pets fighting in his living room. It at least provided comic relief and he kindly emailed me a claim form for the weather-related canceled private shore excursions.) He had nothing helpful to add concerning overseas pharmacies. 

 

It was my understanding that they could help you find the resources even if they did not cover the cost. At least he should be able to give you the name of a local doctor  or a facility where you could get a replacement. Not a good way to find out that the worldwide assistance is of limited use.

[mahdnc]

50 minutes ago, SailingHigher said:

It is still Friday and the Beyond will dock in Civitavecchia on Monday, Oct. 3. This morning, I discovered that my second week of prescription medicines were lost from my luggage. (My best guess is that I left them behind in our Barcelona hotel room.) The Beyond’s doctor was unable to see me until late this afternoon. Sadly, the ship does not stock the antidepressant I take each day. (I’m fine as to my other medicines.) The doctor emailed the port authority in Messina and confirmed at 7 p.m. his suspicion that the medication was restricted in Europe and could not be delivered to the ship. He suggested walking into a farmacia in Sicily and pleading for a 7-day supply. I was able to obtain a JPG of my prescription label from my U.S. pharmacist and a PDF list of current medications from my doctor’s office.

 

Is this suggestion likely to work or will I more likely waste my time on a Saturday morning trying different pharmacies? (All pharmacies are closed on Saturday afternoons and all day on Sundays.)  I considered trying a hospital emergency room, but travel insurance won’t cover that. The policy only covers exams/prescriptions for illnesses that occur during the trip. I’m open to suggestions. Many thanks for considering this predicament with me and suggesting solutions.   

 

We had something similar happen where my wife mistakenly did not bring enough Imitrex on our South American cruise.  She discovered this problem while we were in Chile a couple of days before the cruise.  She ended up having to go to the Emergency Room to have a prescription written for her to present to the local pharmacy (link to story)

[PTC DAWG]

Any possible substitute that may help in the short run? 

[mayleeman]

Any chance you have a credit card with world-wide travel assistance that can locate a pharmacy?

[mom says]

Given that your med is controlled/restricted,  you aren't going to get a pharmacist to give you a supply without a prescription from a local doctor. So a trip to the nearest ER is likely your only hope. And in any city there is always at least one pharmacy that is open on days when everything else is closed. The ER would be able to tell you where it is. You may be surprised that the cost of both the ER visit and the Rx may be quite a bit less than the US equivalent. Save your drug receipt and submit to your insurance company after you get home.

[njguy_south]

1 minute ago, mom says said:

Given that your med is controlled/restricted,  you aren't going to get a pharmacist to give you a supply without a prescription from a local doctor. So a trip to the nearest ER is likely your only hope. And in any city there is always at least one pharmacy that is open on days when everything else is closed. The ER would be able to tell you where it is. You may be surprised that the cost of both the ER visit and the Rx may be quite a bit less than the US equivalent. Save your drug receipt and submit to your insurance company after you get home.

Exactly! That is what my mother did

[SailingHigher]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Any possible substitute that may help in the short run? 

Not that I am aware. No more drinking. 

[SailingHigher]

1 hour ago, mayleeman said:

Any chance you have a credit card with world-wide travel assistance that can locate a pharmacy?

Google Maps is helpful. Found several in Messina and at least one in Taormina open until 1 pm on Saturday. But I may need the ER as my first stop.  Doctor provided no advice about that here on the Beyond. Will try AMEX next. 

[bjahil47]

Can you post it in your CC group for the sailing?  Possibly someone has extra.  I always bring extras.
Good Luck! 

[SailingHigher]

Two things …

1. The credit card suggestion was terrific advice. I spoke to the Global Assist medical team. They were working on solutions overnight including a physician referral, E.R. Locations and a potential telemedicine appointment. Great advice to call those angels.

2.  I just sat up in bed and thought of the one place in the cabin I failed to search . . . A neoprene camera case. For some dumb reason when I packed up at the hotel room, I put my camera over my shoulder and shoved some things in a hurry into the camera case. There I found 7 days of missing prescriptions. Problem solved.

 

Thanks, everyone. You’re all terrific. 

[bjahil47]

17 minutes ago, SailingHigher said:

Two things …

1. The credit card suggestion was terrific advice. I spoke to the Global Assist medical team. They were working on solutions overnight including a physician referral, E.R. Locations and a potential telemedicine appointment. Great advice to call those angels.

2.  I just sat up in bed and thought of the one place in the cabin I failed to search . . . A neoprene camera case. For some dumb reason when I packed up at the hotel room, I put my camera over my shoulder and shoved some things in a hurry into the camera case. There I found 7 days of missing prescriptions. Problem solved.

 

Thanks, everyone. You’re all terrific. 

Glad you found your meds!  Your post was a good reminder to take pictures of prescription bottles and to have contact info in case we need additional meds!  Enjoy your cruise!

[Altamar]

Great!

[ambrtonj]

I was really glad to hear that you will not need the additional prescriptions. My spouse changed doctors and without warning, the new primary care physician did not renew her antidepressant that she had been taking for the last few years. It was not a nice experience. This was all during COVID and the state of the world along with the sudden withdrawal made like extremely difficult for my better half. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Glad it got sorted out. DW has several prescriptions.  We always take photos of all the bottles, take enough for 2X plus a few days the number of days, and divide into 2 lots.  One goes in my carryon and the other in hers - that way really hard to run out.