How to bring medicines from abroad and not go to jail

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The life hacker is figuring out whether they will require a prescription from you, whether it is possible to buy a drug for another person and why it is better not to hide the medicine from customs.

What medications can you just go in and buy at an overseas pharmacy?

When traveling abroad, only a limited list of drugs can be purchased without a prescription. These are vitamins, a number of antihistamines, and antipyretics. For all other drugs, such as antibiotics, hormones, and even more potent drugs, you need a doctor's prescription.

Will a prescription from a Russian doctor work?

Yes, but not in all countries. Russian prescriptions are accepted in most EU pharmacies. But in the USA and Canada, medicines will not be sold on them. Important: your name and surname in the recipe must be indicated in Latin letters.

To clarify whether you will be sold a medicine according to a Russian prescription, it is better in advance. To do this, you can contact the pharmacy in the country where you are going.

What to do in other cases?

Make an appointment with a local doctor and get a prescription. Additional justification may be required to obtain a rare, potent drug. To do this, you will need to provide a medical history confirmed by the seals of the clinic and information about all the appointments that were made to you.

Dmitry Malykh, practicing pediatrician, neurologist

The patients whom I observe are recommended to buy a standard set of essential medicines during their holidays or business trips abroad. Ibuprofen, an allergy medicine. I and a number of my colleagues believe that even ordinary ibuprofen purchased abroad works better than a similar drug purchased in a Russian pharmacy retail.

Will there be any problems with the export of medicines from the country?

The rules for the export of drugs in each country are different. information has been collected for travelers who have purchased medicines and intend to transport them across the border: what documents are needed and where to go for clarifications.

What about the import of drugs to Russia?

According to the law, drugs for medical use (both not registered in the Russian Federation and registered) can be imported into the territory of our country without the permission of the Ministry of Health of Russia - if they are intended for personal use.

If the drugs contain potent and (or) poisonous substances (their list can be seen), documents will be required confirming that they were actually prescribed by a doctor. They should indicate the name of the drug and the amount of the drug.

If the prescription (or other document of appointment) is drawn up in a foreign language, you will need to attach a notarized translation into Russian.

You must prove that you need the medication for the treatment. And you are bringing them just for this, and not for sale. Especially if the drugs are expensive.

To do this, it is better to collect all possible evidence: certified by the seals of the doctor and clinic, extracts from the medical history, past appointments, and so on.

Important: preparations containing potent, narcotic, poisonous substances are subject to mandatory customs declaration in writing (more details -).

How many packs of medicines can you take out at one time?

In the case of prescription drugs, exactly as much as needed for treatment (this is indicated by the doctor). If you've bought multiple packs of over-the-counter drugs, the customs officials probably won't tell you anything. But if you are carrying several boxes of such drugs, this may raise the question: is all this really for your personal use? You have to prove that you need to take this medicine for a long time.

Can I buy prescription drugs overseas for a relative or friend?

No, the prescription was not written for you. If the drug is needed by a seriously ill patient who cannot go abroad himself, you can buy the drug for him through a medical organization (pharmacy, clinic, charitable foundation). This will require permission from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

To get it, you need to collect a package of documents (the conclusion of the council of doctors of the clinic where the patient is being treated, a certified copy of his passport or birth certificate, an application for permission) and send it to the ministry.

Can I order medicines online?

You can try, but there are a lot of nuances here. It will definitely not be possible to purchase drugs not registered in Russia via the Internet. As well as medicines containing narcotic or psychotropic substances. More precisely, you can find out about the shipment of specific medicines in the reference service of the Federal Customs Service of Russia (contacts - on).

Be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay a considerable amount for the delivery of medicines. For example, shipping from Germany when ordering on one of the popular pharmacy sites will cost 30 euros.

What happens if I try to smuggle medicines secretly from customs?

It all depends on the drug. If a medicine is not registered in Russia, or it is considered falsified or substandard, the punishment is more severe - a fine of 70,000 to 100,000 rubles. If the customs officials decide that you imported such medicines for sale (the cost of medicines is more than 100,000 rubles), you can go to jail for a period of three to five years with a fine of 500,000 to two million rubles.

Finally, the smuggling of potent, poisonous, toxic substances threatens with imprisonment for a term of three to seven years, with a fine of up to a million rubles.