Multiple Medications - Filling & Carrying on Camino Frances

[allykat]

Hey folks!

I am going to be traveling with multiple people on my Wedding Processional Camino, though we probably wont always be together. One such person has some pretty serious medical complications in connection with his Crohns. He has a compromised immune system and takes around 23 pills a day, I believe, maybe a few more.

I am trying to help this friend and ensure that they can have a great camino. None of his medications need to be refrigerated, only kept at or below room temp. But with that many pills to take, I'm trying to figure out how much extra weight that is, and how he can carry enough for the whole Camino, or if its possible for him to get Prescriptions of pretty specific medicines, so that he can refill in say, Leon?

Also, how would one best store multiple pills, needing to be taken at different times each day? I'm wondering if this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027RWNN6/?tag=casaivar02-20

Which is 5.6oz - if he packed 2-3 of them, that'd be .47kg without pills (which I would estimate take another .5kg? I don't know...) I am guessing he'll be carrying a full kilogram of extra weight in pills. I'm not overly worried as he doesn't really have many other creature comforts he needs, so things that I plan to carry wont be necessary to him. However... I want to make sure with other people who have carried medication across the Camino that I am giving him accurate information. He'll be all up on his Remicade before the trip, and will get trip approval from his main doctor and gastro doc, but....

I want to know if there is anything I am NOT thinking of to prepare him for the Camino.

 

[SYates]

It would be also important to check rules and regulations regarding bringing certain medicaments into Spain / the EU, perhaps ask the Spanish embassy in your country for more information? Buen Camino§ SY

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, allykat,
I've had friends walk with similar needs, and here are some of the things I've learned from them:

Some have made a few reservations at certain places along the way (pension or private albergue) and then asked if it's ok to mail ahead some medicine. The owners always say yes, and if plans change and you have to change date of arrival, that's never been a problem, because the owners will just keep the package. If you go this route, mailing from Madrid before starting out on the Camino, or Pamplona or some other city, would be easiest. It's also a bit safer than sending to the post office, just because of time limits on how long the post office will hold general delivery packages.

Others have just brought their prescriptions from home with some of their existing medicines in the prescription bottles. They have never had a problem finding a pharmacist in Spain to honor that prescription and to sell them the medicines they needed. This has been for some pretty heavy duty medicines, too. Now that approach is a bit risky, because of course the pharmacist may not want to sell to you without a Spanish doctor's prescription. But a Spanish friend of mine once explained to me that pharmacists are usually quite happy to do that, because you will pay the "sticker price," not the price a Spanish patient will pay, and then the pharmacist can send in for reimbursement for your medicine. This is of course illegal and unethical, but all that the pharmacist needs to do is to take off the medicine some little portion of the box (all have a perforated square that is removable and shows the "sticker price") and send it in with the name of a Spanish patient, and then the pharmacist gets reimbursement. I'm not telling you this because I think it's a great idea, nor because I think that all pharmacists do this -- it's just to say that it may explain why some pharmacists are happy to honor your out of country prescription. In essence they can get double payment for the difference between the Spanish customer price and the un-subsidized price, if this makes any sense.

And one last thing -- anyone leaving the US with a lot of prescription medicine should always have a copy of the actual prescriptions. I've never heard of anything happening, but I suppose there could be some concern about selling prescription drugs illegally if the quantities were large enough. That is usually a problem in the opposite direction, since prescription medication is so much cheaper in many other parts of the world than in the US, but in any event carrying the paper prescription is just a good idea for a lot of reasons. Bue camino, Laurie

 

[ebrandt]

Allykat -- I know nothing about your issue and am off topic -- but your "Wedding Processional Camino" really made me smile! I just love the picture that popped into my head -- white lacy hiking gear! LOL. Buen Camino. LIz

 

[allykat]

Allykat -- I know nothing about your issue and am off topic -- but your "Wedding Processional Camino" really made me smile! I just love the picture that popped into my head -- white lacy hiking gear! LOL. Buen Camino. LIz

If it weren't too much extra weight, I'll probably put a small veil on the back of my hat or scarf, or maybe a very small one on my shell!

I am so excited to have my closest friends with me, and I want to make sure the Camino is as fun, beautiful and spiritual (in any way) as it is and was for me, but some of them require serious considerations, and I hope to spend the next year or so ensuring that at least some of the concern is planned for and eliminate a small bit of the risk!

 

[naplesdon]

I am an expat living in France most of the year. Every February I refill my prescription supplies in Florida for the 8 months while I live in France. I have multiple Rx's thanks to my age and when I walk the Camino I carry all 8 of my Rx's in separate containers plus a monthly single dose of B-12 and the required syringe. The issue of how much space in my backpack these containers require is a bigger concern for me than the weight. I can report that my experience refilling an American prescription in France is excellent. The prices are comparable to those in the US and rarely is there any question from the pharmacist, I can only assume the experience is the same in Spain.

 

[AngelM]

Great question. When will you be walking? I have a different disease, but also on Remicade and take a slew of drugs for autoimmune conditions. I plan on taking my pills in their pharmacy containers with pharmacy labels, and a letterhead signed list from each prescribing doctor listing what they prescribe just in case I get stuck by customs or something.

I plan on walking in 2016, in May probably.

 

[allykat]

@AngelM We will be walking in 2016 Also, but a little later than you, June 16thish to July 31st (with arrival in Santiago on July 24th).
I suppose it might be better to start with seeing if the pills in their proper bottles will take up too much space in his pack, or if maybe he needs a special day pack for all his medications (A thermos pack of some kind?) that can be shipped ahead to each destination for him.

I didn't think about the Customs thing, that's a good point. Perhaps we can find out if his doctor has a connection to a medical facility in Leon or Madrid that can help us with figuring out how to travel him there and what the steps are for refills if needed. However, he normally gets 90 days worth of pills at a time here at home, so I am trying to figure out if carrying everything he needs is better, or planning on needing a scrip refill is the way to go.

 

[AngelM]

So. I normally get pills 90 days a time too, but I also travel quite often. So what I've done is asked my pharmacy to send me small bottles.

Also, I take some medication that is toxic and other people aren't supposed to touch, so those come in pill booklets in those blister packs. Those are actually good for packing into a bag because they lay nice and flat.

I have a nice "cube" I've used for packing meds in the past. I will take a pic of it packed in a minute for you.

 

[allykat]

Oh, and another question.
What if he very specifically cannot HAVE the Brand name of a drug?
It sounded like scrip refills are done on the Generic, do they have the brand names often too? In the bigger cities like Leon? Apparently a couple of his medications, he cannot take the Generic (for reasons I don't know). Would I just then recommend to him to take everything he needs of those?