What to put in a crew bag medicine kit for layovers

A small medicine kit for upset stomachs and minor injuries on layovers: what goes in, how to carry it, and how to check country rules before you fly.

A layover is a bad time to hunt for a pharmacy that is open at 3 am, in a language you don't speak, to buy a product whose label you can't read. A small kit in your bag fixes most of that. Keep it short, because it travels with you on each trip.

What the CDC puts in a personal kit

The CDC's travel health kit list includes several items that suit crew:

Oral electrolyte powder, for moderate to severe diarrhoea or vomiting.
Adhesive bandages (plasters) in several sizes, with some waterproof ones.
Hand sanitiser.
A digital thermometer.
Pain relievers: ibuprofen, acetaminophen (paracetamol) or aspirin.
Loperamide, for diarrhoea without blood.

The CDC recommends packaged oral rehydration solution for serious fluid loss. For mild cases, any drink you like can do, including sports drinks. Mix rehydration powder with sealed, treated or boiled water. Our tap water guide lists which ports you can trust.

Ask your own doctor or pharmacist which pain reliever and anti-diarrhoeal suit you, and what to avoid if you take other medicines. This guide gives no doses. The packet and your pharmacist give them. Check your company's rules before you take any medicine ahead of a duty, and follow its fitness-for-duty policy.

Pack your own prescription medicines

Keep prescription medicines in their original packaging with the pharmacy label. The CDC says narcotics and psychoactive medicines for personal use belong in the original prescription container. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) gives the same advice for all medicines, because original packaging reduces problems at security and customs when you leave and enter countries.

Carry the medicines you need in your cabin bag so you can reach them. A spare supply for a delay is sensible, and so is a photo of your prescription on your phone. ASCIA also suggests a travel plan completed by the prescriber for people who carry adrenaline devices, which helps at security and customs.

Rules differ by country

The next country may restrict or control a product that sits on the shelf at home. Japan's tourism office tells travellers to confirm what restrictions apply before they bring medication, and it points to the health ministry's contacts by port of entry: the Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau for Narita and Haneda, and the Kinki Regional Bureau for Kansai. Smartraveller has a page on taking medicine and medical devices overseas, and your own government's travel site will have a similar one. Read the rules for each country on your trip, including the ports you transit.

Buying medicine overseas

A familiar brand name can hide a different ingredient in another country. Ask the pharmacist what is in it, and compare it with what your doctor suggested.

The CDC says to buy from a trustworthy pharmacy and to ask for a receipt. It warns that the WHO estimates 10 percent of medical products in low and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified. A price far below normal is a warning sign, and so is a stall or market that sells medicines. Keep the receipt and the empty packet, which help if you need a doctor or an insurance claim later. Our guide to getting sick on a layover covers that.

Keep it light

Choose small packs and keep the kit in one pouch. Check expiry dates before each trip, and replace anything you used.

Finding a pharmacy

On Chocks lets you search for a pharmacy among the places crew recommend, with an Open now filter, so you can find the closest one that is open when your kit runs out.