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Dick - 15 Apr 2023

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Peter.Merriman - 12 Apr 2023

Hi, wondering if anyone has any advice on how to obtain prescription / controlled drugs in UK to make up an emergency medical kit?  We are preparing for our qualifying voyage and are reluctant to purchase expensive  MSOS or similar kits just to obtain the drugs as we have most of the other stuff in the list already or in hand.  Our local GP services are struggling like much of the NHS and having difficulty processing an out of the ordinary request.  Grateful for any other tips or strategies others may have used. Or we will take some personal development time camping at the Surgery! Many thanks for your time.

Hi Peter, 
There is no “best way”: perhaps not even a good way. We have a friend who is a physician prescribe to our needs and go over their use with us. If traveling internationally, keep the prescriptions from your Dr. and it does not hurt to have a letter on his letterhead attesting that he prescribed the medications for use in remote situations where medical help is not available and that you have been trained in its use. Keep all prescription meds together and keep a “record” of their use on a sheet in the meds bag with dates, amount, symptoms etc. (perhaps also put in Ship’s Log).
Jury is still out for us as to how to answer “Do you have any drugs on board?”. We assume illegal drugs are being referred to and answer “no”. But that is silly as who would answer yes to illegal drugs. We know at least one skipper who answered “no” and the Russian dog sniffed out his prescription drugs some of whom held codeine (as does our offshore supply of meds). There was the fact of this un-declared controlled substance but more potently, the authorities felt they had been lied to.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Ps. More info may be found in the medical section of the Forum.