Bringing controlled prescription drugs over

@Spearo77 As long as you have the doctors letter and correct dosage to travel as per dr letter, you should be fine.

    Hi there,I'm coming over for a holiday next week from the UK and talked my mum into joining me last minute for a month.  She has bipolar so has a nice list of drugs she's needs to bring including lithium and Vallum.  What's the best way to travel over with these, is a doctors note all it takes?  She worries about everything and I'm finding it hard to get to the bottom of things.  Some places seem to suggest you can only bring 1 weeks supply while other people seem to bring months worth.If anyone with experience can help that would be fantastic thanks.Also on a side note were staying in Hanoi and sight seeing from there.  Is it normal to get jabs for Hepatitis A, Typhoid??Thank you kindly Tony        -@Spearo77

Hello Spearo77, and welcome to expat.com

I had written in another thread, here, the following:

'If you are bringing medication(s) with you, ensure that they are in their original packaging, and if required a copy of a doctor's prescription. Even with a prescription, there are some medications which will be prohibited (eg. medical cannabis, certain antihistamines, ADHD and OCD medications) from being allowed through customs. If in doubt, and if this applies to you or any future reader of this thread, do your own research on any meds you might bring with you.'

To be sure of your mother being able to bring her prescriptions, my advice to you is to check with the Vietnamese embassy in England.

I'm sorry I can't give you advice regarding vaccinations.

    Hi there,
I'm coming over for a holiday next week from the UK and talked my mum into joining me last minute for a month. 

She has bipolar so has a nice list of drugs she's needs to bring including lithium and Vallum.  What's the best way to travel over with these, is a doctors note all it takes? 

Tony
   
    -@Spearo77

Hi Tony,

I sincerely want to wish you both well.

My Mom had some of the same issues & meds, and I never would have attempted such a challenge, and my background is largely in psychiatric nursing.

At the risk of being deleted for giving medical "advice", I will simply say that I hope your mom has her blood lithium level drawn as close to departure as possible by her health care practitioner.

I also hope she will bring along (or have a digital copy of) her healthcare summary including basic history & diagnoses, in case she becomes unstable here and requires a visit to a healthcare provider.

It's a good thing that your mom will be visiting Hà Nội during the cooler season of the year, but even in the cooler weather here, moving about much can stimulate greater than normal perspiration, and I'm sure both of you know how quickly that can adversely impact blood lithium levels.

So I also hope she/you will seek out the advice of her current healthcare provider to see if they recommend weekly blood lithium draws while she is here.

I'm not saying you "should" do any of that.

I'm just hoping that her current healthcare provider will be able to counsel her on the best way to stay healthy during that month away from home in what can be a very stressful and anxiety-stimulating environment.

Best of luck to you both!

Thanks!

Im more concerned about bringing her medican over.  Embassy says only 10 days supply but the holiday is for 20 days. 

How do people go on long holidays in Vietnam if they need this medicine? Seems crazy

Thanks

Regarding "jabs" here is the advice for Vietnam from the CDC, a US agency but presumably applicable to all humans. 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinatio … ne/vietnam

Parenthetically, I can no longer get the link icon to work when I either left or right click it.   Does anyone else have the same experience? (Using a computer.)

    Thanks! Im more concerned about bringing her medican over.  Embassy says only 10 days supply but the holiday is for 20 days.  How do people go on long holidays in Vietnam if they need this medicine? Seems crazyThanks -@Spearo77

Right you are on the 10 days. (Link)

Good that you checked with the embassy.

I suggest you speak to your mother's doctor about some sort of "workaround" (perhaps augmenting the written prescription for the trips duration?). The doctor has, no doubt, had patients in a similar predicament.

Failing the doctor offering a solution to this problem, have you look into the option of refilling the prescription while here? (Link, for search)

Also, see WHO-AIMS REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN VIETNAM (Link PDF),

specifically page 15

• Prescription in primary health care

    2. As for availability of psychotropic medicines, the majority (51-80%) of physician-

based PHC clinics and non-physician – based PHC have at least one psychotropic

medicine of each therapeutic category (anti-psychotic, antidepressant, mood stabilizer,

anxiolytic, and antiepileptic).

This is a subject which will be of interest to many visitors to Vietnam. Please keep the forum updated on your research results. We would certainly appreciate it.

Parenthetically, I can no longer get the link icon to work when I either left or right click it.   Does anyone else have the same experience? (Using a computer.)

    -@THIGV

Works (see above) with Android tablet in Chrome browser.

Might be the browser you are using?