Pack your medicines once, properly.
Tell the checklist about your trip. It works out how many days of each medicine to pack and builds a list for how you are travelling, with a progress ring to fill as you tick things off.
Tick things off as you do them.
Your supply: 10 days of each medicine.
Once you are away, the reminders still need to work.
This page is from the team behind DoseBeacon: Pill Reminder for iPhone, a pill reminder and family medication tracker for older adults and the people who help them. According to its App Store listing:
- Reminders are scheduled on the device, so they work without internet
- Senior Mode shows one large, high-contrast card at a time with four clear choices: Log as taken, Later, Not sure and I need help
- Keep prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements in one list. Scan a pharmacy label to create a draft, then check every field before a reminder turns on
- Invite family or a caregiver to a care circle. You approve each person, choose their role and can revoke any device
- Every screen shows when it was last updated
General travel tips only, not medical advice. Ask your pharmacist or prescriber about your own medicines, especially before changing when you take them. Nothing you tick on this page is saved or sent anywhere.
The two mistakes that cause most trouble
Running short. A delayed flight, a missed connection or a lost bag can add days. Packing a few spare days is far easier than finding a pharmacy that can fill your prescription somewhere unfamiliar.
Putting everything in the checked bag. If it is lost, so are your medicines. Keep them with you, and split the spare supply from the day-to-day supply.
Crossing time zones
For most daily medicines a small shift is not a problem, but for some, such as insulin or medicines that must be taken a set number of hours apart, timing matters. That is a question for the pharmacist or prescriber who knows your medicines. Ask a week or two before you leave, not at the gate.
Questions
How many days of medicine should I take on a trip?
Take enough for the whole trip plus spare days for delays. Three extra days is a common starting point, and more if you are going somewhere remote or if getting a refill would be hard.
Should medicines go in hand luggage or checked luggage?
Hand luggage, so they stay with you if a bag is delayed or lost. If you are carrying a large supply, keep the first several days in hand luggage and ask your airline about the rest.
Do I need to check the rules for the country I am visiting?
Yes, if you are crossing a border. Some medicines that are routine in one country are restricted in another. Check the official government or embassy website for your destination.
More from this site
- Make a medication wallet cardMake a free wallet-sized medication card: allergies, medicines with doses and times, conditions and an emergency contact. Print it, cut it out and keep it with your ID, or save it as an image on your phone.
- Medicine dose time plannerTurn “take twice a day” or “every 8 hours” into clock times that fit your waking day. Even spacing, a printable chart, and notes to check with your pharmacist.
- Medisafe alternative for aging parentsMedisafe is a big medication app. Setting up reminders for an aging parent? Compare it with the big-text Senior Mode and caregiver sharing in DoseBeacon.
- Pill refill date calculatorEnter how many pills are left and how many are taken each day. See the date each medicine runs out and the day to order the refill, for up to eight medicines. Free, private.
- Printable Medication Schedule Chart Maker (Free Weekly Template)Build a weekly medication chart in your browser: add each medicine, pick the times and days, then print a large-print tick sheet. Free, no sign-up, nothing stored.
- Printable medication schedule makerType each medicine from its label, pick the times, and print a one-page weekly medication chart with a tick box for every dose. Free, private, nothing to install.