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Airports are selling some medicines that could get you arrested on holiday

From NetDoctor

When you're travelling to a new destination for a holiday you don't always know the ins and outs of what you're supposed to do/not do in that foreign country. And you won't always have the time to research every last detail that you need to know before you set off.

What you might hope for though, is that there isn't anything incriminating in the airport that you might pick up just before you fly.

An investigation by The Independent has revealed that pharmacies at UK airports sell medicines to travellers that could mean imprisonment for passengers when they land at their destinations. And they're currently doing little to warn travellers about the consequences.

In particular, codeine is a banned substance in countries such as Egypt and the UAE, and in the past holiday-makers have been in-prisoned for carrying medicines that contain it.

Richard Bradley, Pharmacy Director for Boots UK, told the Independent: "We would urge customers to check the Government Travel Aware website before they travel where they can find relevant links to all the information they need to travel safely abroad.

"We are taking this opportunity to raise the awareness of our pharmacy colleagues in our airside stores of the resources available so that they can signpost customers to the Government's website where appropriate."

Precautions to take

We spoke to NetDoctor pharmacist Rita Ghelani for her recommendations:

"The key message is that travellers should check the government website Travel Aware before travelling with medicines that could be illegal or restricted in some countries. For example, OTC codeine containing products are now banned in Australia, so it important to know this and make sure that you have a receipt for any codeine containing products that you may buy from the airports before you travel.

"It is a good idea to always have list of all the medicines that you have been prescribed by your GP, plus a letter from your doctor if you are taking any medicines that may be restricted or illegal in the country you are travelling to."

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