Korean Job Discussion Forums

[daveeslcafe888]

Hi Everyone,

My doctor just prescribed a medication to help me sleep. (It's definitely a non-narcotic, and will show up clean on a drug test).

However, it's very expensive, even in the US.

My options for continuing to medication in Korea are:

1. Get a few dozen sample packets that doctors hand out

(With this option that comes the risk of this expensive medication being seized by customs, as I don't have a note).

2. Get a prescription for it in the US, and carry the bottle with me through customs

3. Get a prescription for it in Korea

(With this comes the hard reality of finding such a medication)

4. Going without

(With this comes the possibility that I'll probably be anxious).

What do you guys think is the best option?

Thanks for discussing this with me on fairly anonymous terms.

[OiGirl]

I have never had any problem carrying any quantity of any medicine through Korean customs, including a generous year's supply of supplements, OTC meds, and not-quite-labelled-accurately narcotics.

[northway]

Incheon is pretty lax, I wouldn't worry about it. I brought a crapton of booze through before and tried to pay the duty on it (my friend was paying) and they told me it was "wine" and to go ahead through. Even if they do search your bags they probably won't give a crap.

[Milwaukiedave]

I have never had a problem bring medication through Incheon either. When I go to the US I bring back a crapload of OTC stuff that is more difficult to get here in Korea. If the prescriptions are a bottle with a clearly marked label you should be fine.

[thegadfly]

I use over-the-counter antihistamine for seasonal allergies and high yellow dust days. I do not like what I have found at Korean pharmacies, so I bring back 6 months' worth when I return -- at 2-4 a day, that is a few hundred tablets. I just tossed the blister-packs in my stowed luggage, and didn't have any problems.

A few years ago, I even went as far as to remove them from the blister packs and put them all into one bottle -- so I a giant bottle of pills in my stowed luggage. That wasn't a problem either. No one asked me about them in either case.

Now, bringing back 6 months' worth of shaving gel HAS caused me problems, and I HAVE had 4 cans seized (tried to bring back 6 cans -- US Costco trips for things I needed to stock up on). That only happened once, but it was the same trip where I had the couple-hundred pills in blister packs in my luggage -- "all these sheets of pills are fine, but that can of gel? Hand it over, sonny!"

[Hokie21]

If you're worried about it just call your doctor and have him write you a note. It takes like 5 minutes. Assuming you're still in the US.

[SCAshley]

I brought OTC and prescription rx's through (including a few narcotics) no problem. I've never heard of it happening, but probably the worst it that they'll take them from you. I second the other poster who said have your MD write a note (oh, and don't bother getting your Md to write an rx to bring here-prescriptions are not valid outside of the country (and even sometimes state) that they are written. You'll be fine!

[winterfall]

I had an abscess, was carrying vicodin and prescription strength ibuprophen. Carried the bottles in my pocket and bag. Had a doctor's note signed by the hospital but no one seemed to care. They even took the bottles out and looked at the labels, then just stuck em back in. Guess it helped, I looked absolutely miserable.

I got the surgery that morning, emergency room and flew out in the afternoon. Man did that suck..

[Pikkle]

I've never had trouble with OTC meds or prescription meds. Even samples come in clearly marked packets, no? I don't think you will have any trouble at all.

Once here you might have more difficulty finding what you need, especially if it's a strong drug. So... I really don't know about that, but I say bring what you can.