Is there anything more upsetting than falling ill during a long-awaited trip? As luck would have it, I have a jinx: right before departure, something always goes wrong with my body, whether it's coming down with enteritis or developing cold and flu symptoms. This year was no exception. Two mornings before a trip to Europe, I woke up with a scratchy throat. The culprit was leaving the air conditioner on all night amid the hot and humid weather. Just thinking about a flight lasting more than 10 hours was already daunting, and then came the runny nose and dry cough. On my way home from work, I stopped by a pharmacy and bought a whole batch of multi-symptom cold medicine. But as I was packing, a doubt crept in: "Is it okay to bring this as is?" Pseudoephedrine, an ingredient effective at relieving runny nose and nasal congestion and included in some multi-symptom cold medicines, can be misused to manufacture methamphetamine (philopon).
In fact, as criminal cases of manufacturing illegal narcotics by purchasing large quantities of pseudoephedrine contained in cold or rhinitis medicines occurred one after another, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety prepared a "management plan for over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine" to block this at the source. It recommended that over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine be sold only up to a maximum of four days' supply per person. Large-volume bottled products such as 100-tablet or 500-tablet packages cannot be displayed on pharmacy shelves and sold as over-the-counter drugs; they must be supplied only "for dispensing" to patients who present a doctor's prescription. Moreover, the drug ingredients and standards designated as narcotics vary greatly by country. In other words, drugs that can be easily purchased at a neighborhood pharmacy without a prescription in Korea may be subject to strict crackdowns in other countries.
The ingredients that require the most caution are pseudoephedrine and codeine. Both are relatively common in Korea, included in small amounts in cold medicines, rhinitis medicines, and painkillers classified as over-the-counter drugs. But the situation abroad is entirely different. Japan is a country where importing medicines is very strict. Over-the-counter drugs can be brought in for up to a two-month supply and prescription drugs for up to a one-month supply without a separate procedure, and exceeding this requires obtaining an import confirmation certificate from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in advance. Not only codeine, but if pseudoephedrine content exceeds 10%, it is classified as a stimulant raw material and its entry itself is banned, so you must check the ingredient label. The United States also strictly controls drugs containing even trace amounts of narcotic ingredients such as codeine, so you need to carry a doctor's prescription written in English to avoid confiscation and punishment at customs.
If you are planning a trip to Europe, it is safer to carefully check the regulations of the country you are visiting. Even within the European Union (EU), the way codeine-containing medicines are handled differs by country. For example, France, since July 2017, has changed medicines containing codeine into prescription-only drugs entirely, making them difficult to purchase without a doctor's prescription. Britain, on the other hand, allows pharmacy sales but mandates that warning phrases such as "do not use for more than three days" and "risk of addiction" be included on the packaging. The strictest is Singapore. For medicines containing certain ingredients such as psychotropic drugs, you must obtain import approval from Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in advance, going beyond a simple customs declaration. If, like me, you didn't have time to obtain prior approval due to sudden cold symptoms, purchasing medicine locally can be an alternative. It would be good to remember that even a drug you could easily obtain without a prescription may be treated as a dangerous drug the moment you cross the border.
There is no need to be overly frightened. Remembering about three things will put you at ease. First, keep over-the-counter drugs in their original packaging. If you transfer them to another container, it becomes difficult to prove what the medicine is. Second, I recommend preparing an English prescription or medical certificate for prescription drugs. Since product names may differ by country, the ingredient name is especially important, and the dosage, method of use, and prescription period must all be accurately written. Some places, like New Zealand, require an original with a doctor's signature or a notarized copy, so it's good to prepare it in advance. Third, herbal medicines and health functional foods are no exception. Australia and New Zealand strictly treat herbal and botanical preparations containing plant-based ingredients as subject to quarantine, so bringing them in without declaration may result in confiscation. Nutritional supplements such as multivitamins or omega-3 are generally fine, but weight-loss aids or muscle-building supplements may contain regulated ingredients depending on the country, so I recommend checking in advance.
