I’m In The UAE With No Access To My UK Medication. What Can I Do?

The UAE offers a captivating blend of modern marvels and ancient traditions. But amidst the excitement of planning your trip, ensuring access to your medications can be a concern. Here at Pharmacy Planet, we understand that uninterrupted access to your prescriptions is vital, and we're here to bridge that gap for you.

Managing Medicine Access in the UAE

While the UAE boasts advanced medical facilities, getting hold of your prescribed medications as a visitor can be tricky due to a few factors:

• Availability: Medications readily available at home might not be found in the UAE, or they may have different brand names.
• Supply Chain Issues: Even popular medications can encounter temporary stock shortages in specific regions, including the UAE. This includes asthma inhalers, weight-loss medications (like Wegovy and Mounjaro), and certain diabetes treatments.
• Regulations: Differences in prescription regulations between countries can make obtaining new prescriptions or refills during your travels difficult.

Medications that may be affected

When travelling to the UAE, it's crucial to be aware of which medications may not be readily available or permitted in the country. Some prescriptions you rely on in the UK might be restricted or have different regulations in the UAE. Understanding these differences can help you plan ahead and ensure you have continuous access to your necessary treatments.

• Respiratory Medications: Inhalers like Salbutamol, Ventolin, and Seretide might be subject to temporary availability issues.
• Weight Management Medications: Semaglutide (Wegovy) and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are popular weight-loss medications that may experience temporary shortages in some regions.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): The availability of HRT medications like Evorel and Estradot can fluctuate.
  Diabetes Medications: Due to rising demand, diabetes medications like Trulicity and Ozempic might encounter short-term supply constraints.

Making Sure UAE Travellers Have Easy Access to Medication

The UAE welcomes a significant number of international visitors for business, leisure, and cultural exploration. At us, we recognise the potential difficulties travellers may face in accessing their medications due to variations in healthcare systems. We're here to help you stay on track with your treatment plan by assisting you with prescription fulfilment and offering valuable medical guidance. We frequently assist tourists who:

• Have misplaced their prescriptions at home.
• Require continuous access to their prescribed medications during their trip.

By working together and understanding these factors, we can ensure you have uninterrupted access to your medications while travelling to the UAE. Let us be your trusted travel companion for a worry-free and healthy trip!

Bhupinder Dhaliwal is a registered pharmacist with over 20 years of experience. Professional registration details are found here.