Originally Posted by
HKQT
Okay, I got a little paranoid after reading this thread. I am planning to traveling to Sydney this week (from the States). I packed the common over the counter drugs (cold medicine, cough drops, advil, benadryl, tums, etc). Do I need to declare this? Granted, I'm sure I can buy them in Sydney...I want to be prepared in case I can't get to a drug store when I need it most.
Also, i'm bringing Ambien (to help me sleep on the plane) without the original packaging (like 10 pills). Should I declare this since I don't have the doctor's prescription anymore?
Thanks!
Look I'd declare it but I wouldn't worry about them confiscating it. The TGA (equiv to the FDA) has fairly liberal guidelines on what can and can't be brought into Australia for personal use. As usual customs overshoots, just tell them what you have, they would be unlikely to be too concerned. Without looking up the controlled substances it would be unlikely that they would include statins or other common cold medication that is available in Australia.
The below is too import by mail but I would imagine much of what's written below holds if traveling by air.
Originally Posted by TGA
You may bring a 3 month supply (at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer) of unapproved medicines into Australia in any one importation without any approval required by the TGA provided that:
1. the goods are for the use in the treatment of the importer or their immediate family; and
2. you do not supply (sell or give) the medicine to any other person; and
3. the goods do not contain a controlled substance (see: Import & export of controlled substances <http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/treaties-and-compliance>); and
4. the goods are not injections that contain material of human or animal origin (except insulin); and
5. the total quantity of the medicine imported within a 12 month period does not exceed 15 months supply of the drug (at the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturer); and
6. if the goods are in Schedule 4 or 8 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drug and Poisons <http://www.tga.gov.au/ndpsc/susdp.htm> a prescription from a registered medical practitioner is held for the goods.
To establish if the goods are subject to the Customs legislation you need to know what are the ingredients in the product. You can then look up the controlled substances which require import licences/permits. Each State and Territory of Australia also has its own Poison and Drugs legislative controls (see: Import & export of controlled substances <http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/treaties-and-compliance>). You should also check these requirements before importing these types of goods. An import permit will not be issued for substances in Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons unless a prescription from a registered doctor in Australia has been submitted to the Treaties and Compliance Section, Office of Chemical Safety, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.