Travel with medicines – Singapore Forum

Travel with medicines.
I've heard from friends about how strict government officials are at Changi, especially in terms of drugs (death penalties).
I just want to ask people with experience out there with travel to Singapore if it's OK to travel with medicines (Tylenol, etc.) I regularly take and place them in my bags. I know this might be a stupid question, but you never know, maybe it's not advisable to travel with medicines in their original package seeing how strict the government is about drugs.
You don't have to worry about bringing regular painkillers with you into Singapore, paracetamol and ibuprofen are both available to buy from the Pharmacist in Singapore, just as you would expect in any Western country. But, if you brought cases of painkillers with you i'm sure Customs would want to have a word! I would say as long as you bring what you would use personally in the trip then it is ok. This also goes for Chewing Gum, which many people like to say is banned in Singapore but it is not completely banned any more and you may bring some for personal consumption and can buy gum at Pharmacists in Singapore now.
The customs website is http://www.customs.gov.sg/leftNav/trav/Dutiable+Controlled+and+Prohibited+Goods.htm.
so you can have a read of this to check any items you're thinking of bringing with you.
Please keep any medication in the original packaging however as if you don't it is likely to look more suspicious! If there's anything you have a doctors precription for then perhaps get a letter from your doctor as proof that this is for your personal use.
😀 Not too worry, those rules on drugs is to stop drug trafficing and definitely not applicable to medicines for personal consumption.
as for the chewing gum, just bring them in, you should not be questions.
what is ban was the selling of chewing gum, and not the chewing of the chewing gum. (of course, the selling rules was revised after singapore join WTO where one can buy chewing gum in singapore due to medical reason, Ha Ha).
so, buying chewing gum and bring in from oversea for yourself is ok. You can chew chewing gum in singapore. It's legal!
😀 enjoy your holiday.
Nothing to worry about bringing medicines into Singapore. My husband is a pill popper so you can imagine how much medicine we have to bring in. But if you are worried, just grab a letter from your doctor to state that you need for them for that reason. Sometimes we carry that letter with us that but never had problems.
silly question but is it also ok to bring vitamins please? My husband, daughter & I all take so I could have around 8 different bottles with us.
We are coming this Friday, so would appreciate any advice pls.
Same same.. so along as its for personal consumption, never been any problems. AS a local, I too bring along such items for my children, going overseas, never see any reason to worry about unless you are bring in large quantity – for sales. then that's different case.
No just for personal. Thank you!!
I have allergies to certain foods – grapes, bananas and peanuts, used to be mild so never really worried but last December has a very very unpleasant reaction to a Thai curry in Melbourne which did not list peanuts in its ingredients. No satay for me sadly.
Would like to bring some piriton tablets as a precaution. Will this be okay?
1. You can still take Satay, but don't take the sauce.
Satay is meat aka no peanuts. However, the Satay sauce, which is always served separately in Singapore contains peanuts.
2. what's the different between drugs and Medicines?
The reason why Singapore government is strict on drugs is because they see drugs as one of the key components that break the family fabric and hence bad for the countries.
I'm very sure, Singapore government knows the difference between drugs and medicines.
Celi, I took Piriton with us into Singapore this latest trip (19th June to 1st July) – for dealing with food allergy attacks (honey in my case) and since you canot find it out there (looked the last three years.
Before I went I checked if it was on the Singaporean medicine agency's list of drug requiring paperwork and I couldn't spot it, so it came under the usual small amount for personal consumption is fine of most modern countries, so in the luggage it went.
Incidentally, codeine is on that list by the way and does not have the exemption if in low quantity common to many other countries. so those high strength over the counter headache pills found in the UK and US can fall foul of the rules there.
Thanks Myrm, that's really helpful. I'll be sure to pack some.