Rules for carrying medicines across the border

Every year thousands of people, including athletes travelling to training camps or competitions, cross the border with a suitcase containing medicines. For most preparations this is not a problem, but for some substances — sleeping pills, strong painkillers, hormones, anabolic steroids — the rules are strict, and a mistake can turn into confiscation, a fine or a criminal case. The editorial team explains the general logic of these rules.

The basic principle: «for personal use»

In almost all countries, customs law distinguishes two situations: a person is carrying medicines for themselves, or is moving goods. In the first case simplified rules apply; in the second, requirements for licensing, registration and certification of medicinal products. The line between them is determined primarily by the quantity and nature of the preparation.

The quantity considered «personal» is usually tied to the duration of the trip and the course of treatment. If a person travels for a week but carries a year's supply, a customs officer has grounds to doubt that it is for personal use. It is therefore sensible to take an amount matching the length of the journey with a small reserve in case of delay.

In Ukraine, the procedure for citizens moving goods across the customs border is set by the Customs Code of Ukraine, while the circulation of medicinal products and controlled substances is governed by specialised laws and resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers. Ordinary over-the-counter medicines in reasonable quantities for personal needs, as a rule, do not raise questions.

However, the rules of the destination country may differ substantially from Ukrainian ones. A preparation freely sold in a pharmacy at home may be prescription-only or outright banned in another state. Classic examples are some combination cold remedies with pseudoephedrine or codeine, which are subject to strict control in a number of countries.

So the first rule of any trip: check the requirements not only of the country of departure but also of the country of entry and of transit. The most reliable sources are the websites of customs services and embassies, as well as national medicines regulators.

Controlled substances and international conventions

The foundation of global control rests on three UN conventions: the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the Convention against Illicit Traffic of 1988. They divide substances into schedules depending on medical value and potential for abuse.

Controlled substances include not only «classic» narcotics. The schedules include opioid painkillers, benzodiazepines, some sleeping pills, stimulants for treating ADHD, centrally acting weight-loss drugs. A patient treated with such agents has the right to continue therapy while travelling, provided there is proper documentary support.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has developed recommendations for national regulators regarding travellers who receive treatment with controlled preparations. They provide that a person may carry a limited supply together with a document from a doctor, while individual countries set their own limit quantities and require prior authorisation.

Within the Schengen area a special mechanism applies — the certificate provided for by Article 75 of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement. It allows a resident of one of the participating states to carry narcotic or psychotropic preparations prescribed by a doctor for up to 30 days. For citizens of third countries, other documents are usually required — a prescription and a medical report, sometimes with a translation.

Failure to meet these requirements is treated not as a minor violation but as possible illegal movement of controlled substances. The consequences depend on the country but can be very serious, up to imprisonment.

Documents worth having with you

Even if no rule directly requires a document, the editorial team advises carrying proof of a medical prescription for all prescription preparations. This saves time at the border and removes most questions.

• A prescription or doctor's notewith the diagnosis (in generalised form if the patient wishes), the name of the preparation by its international non-proprietary name, dosage and duration of the course.
• Translationinto English or the language of the destination country, if the document is drawn up in Ukrainian.
• Original packagingwith the label and leaflet — medicines decanted into unlabelled containers arouse suspicion.
• Special permitsfor controlled substances — a Schengen certificate or a permit from the competent authority of the country of entry.
• For athletes— a copy of the valid therapeutic use exemption (TUE), if the preparation is on the WADA Prohibited List.

It is worth thinking separately about injectable forms, syringes and needles. For insulin, medicines for treating migraine or allergy (adrenaline auto-injectors), airlines usually allow carriage in hand luggage but require medical confirmation. Liquids in hand luggage exceeding the standard limits are also permitted if they are medicines.

It is advisable to keep documents in hand luggage together with the preparations. Luggage can get lost, and it is better to explain to a customs officer why there are ampoules in the bag without a prescription with the paperwork in hand.

As for prescriptions: a Ukrainian prescription is not always recognised in pharmacies abroad, so counting on replenishing the supply on the spot is risky. It is better to take a sufficient quantity from home.

Hormones, steroids and sports pharmacology

For our blog's audience, the most sensitive category is anabolic androgenic steroids, hormones and similar substances. Their regulation differs between countries most strongly. In the USA, anabolic steroids were placed in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act after the adoption of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. In the United Kingdom they belong to Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

If a person receives testosterone or another hormone as prescribed by a doctor, for example to treat hypogonadism, they have the same rights as any patient: to carry the preparation for a personal course with medical documents. The problem arises when there are no documents, and the quantity or assortment does not match the medical prescription.

A separate risk is «grey» substances registered as «research reagents» rather than as medicines. Customs officers in many states treat them as unregistered medicinal products or even controlled substances, and the buyer cannot confirm a medical purpose. The editorial team offers no advice on moving such products and emphasises the legal and medical risks.

It is also important to remember that for an athlete, customs legality and anti-doping legality are different things. A preparation lawfully imported on prescription may remain prohibited in sport, and its presence in luggage during competition may in some cases become the subject of an investigation into possession of prohibited substances.

A practical checklist before the trip

Preparing to carry medicines takes a few hours but removes the risk of a ruined trip. We recommend starting it at least a month before departure, especially when it concerns controlled substances that require permits.

1. Find out the international non-proprietary name of each preparation and its status in the destination country.
2. Check whether the substance is controlled; if necessary, obtain a permit or certificate.
3. Take a doctor's note and a prescription, with a translation if needed.
4. Count the quantity according to the duration of the trip plus a small reserve.
5. Athletes — check the preparation against the WADA Prohibited List and verify that a TUE is in place.

If you are not sure of a preparation's status, it is best to contact the consulate of the destination country or its medicines regulator. General forums and friends' advice are unreliable here: the rules change, and the traveller bears responsibility.

If questions arise at the border, speak calmly, show the documents and do not try to conceal the preparations. Declared medicines with medical confirmation are a normal situation that customs officers encounter every day.

Also remember international postal shipments. The rules of «personal carriage» usually do not extend to parcels: sending prescription and controlled preparations by mail or courier is regulated much more strictly in many countries.

Editorial conclusions

Carrying medicines across the border is a common practice, but it requires preparation. The key factors are the type of preparation, the quantity, correspondence to a medical prescription and the rules of the specific countries.

For controlled substances, hormones and anabolic steroids the risks are highest: without documents even a lawfully prescribed preparation can become a problem, while unregistered «research» substances can lead to serious legal consequences.

The best protection is medical documents, original packaging, a reasonable quantity and prior verification of the requirements. For athletes, an anti-doping dimension is added: legality at the border does not mean permission in sport.

We also recommend reading our materials on the therapeutic use exemption, on prohibited supplements and on the rights of an athlete during doping control.

References

1. United Nations. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol. New York: United Nations; 1972.
2. United Nations. Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971. New York: United Nations; 1971.
3. Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement of 14 June 1985 (Article 75). Official Journal of the European Communities. 2000;L 239.
4. International Narcotics Control Board. Guidelines for national regulations concerning travellers under treatment with internationally controlled drugs. Vienna: INCB.
5. Митний кодекс України від 13.03.2012 № 4495-VI.
6. Закон України «Про наркотичні засоби, психотропні речовини і прекурсори» від 15.02.1995 № 60/95-ВР.
7. World Anti-Doping Agency. The World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List. Montreal: WADA; чинна редакція.