Anybody heard of this? We took enough OTC drugs to start a small pharmacy last fall, including a bunch of Benadryl. This would ruin your safari in a hurry. This is from a US State Dept travel advisory that is linked into Shakari's website.


ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:

NOTE: Recently, the Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has detained a number of Americans for possession of Benadryl and other over-the-counter medications which have contained small quantities of diphenhydramine, an active ingredient that is on Zambia’s list of controlled substances. Although unaware of these restrictions, Americans have been charged with drug trafficking offenses, had their passports confiscated, and been jailed. As a result, any American visiting Zambia should consider leaving all non-prescription medications behind. When traveling with prescription medications, Americans should bring a doctor’s prescription and ensure that the medication is in its original bottle. Any American stopped by the DEC for possession of over-the-counter medications should contact the Embassy at 0211-250-955 as soon as possible.

http://travel.state.gov/travel...tw/cis/cis_1062.html

quote:

NOTE: Recently, the Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has detained a number of Americans for possession of Benadryl and other over-the-counter medications which have contained small quantities of diphenhydramine, an active ingredient that is on Zambia’s list of controlled substances.

Benadryl, a controlled substance?

What legally retarded bureaucrat came up with that?

If it was ephedrine (Sudafed) I would understand as it is a precursor for the manufacture of methamphetamine. But Benadryl??

What is and isn't a controlled substance varies from country to country.

We had to make Japanese and Korean pharmacies off-limits for soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines because anybody could walk out of the shop with an OTC cold remedy that could get you 5-10 in Leavenworth if you took a piss test at the wrong time.

A nice simple rule like "don't take any medicines with opiates" was too complicated for the crowd I kept having to stop from knocking over vending machines in Asia because they couldn't understand why they wouldn't take quarters.

So we just told them to get all the drugs they needed at the exchange.

And the ones who couldn't listen still ended up in Leavenworth.

Actually benadryl if used improperly is capable of giving you some nasty side effects.

I suspect its on the list because its injectable and has sedating properties. We use it all the time as a sedative/sleep agent.

Now I know. I will just use a whole script pad up before I go next! Its not so bad when you can write your own...

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
Actually benadryl if used improperly is capable of giving you some nasty side effects.

I suspect its on the list because its injectable and has sedating properties. We use it all the time as a sedative/sleep agent.

Now I know. I will just use a whole script pad up before I go next! Its not so bad when you can write your own...

Minnisota State Medical Regs allows for writing a script to oneself?

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
Actually benadryl if used improperly is capable of giving you some nasty side effects.

I suspect its on the list because its injectable and has sedating properties. We use it all the time as a sedative/sleep agent.

Now I know. I will just use a whole script pad up before I go next! Its not so bad when you can write your own...

Minnisota State Medical Regs allows for writing a script to oneself?

Licensed physicians can purchase drugs without "prescriptions". Controlled substances on schedule II (morphine, oxycodone, demerol, fentanyl, etc.)can be obtained with the proper DEA forms; all scheduled (controlled) drugs must be stored and records maintained in accordance with strict rules. A physician may not write himself nor his close family members a prescription for a schedule II drug (nor schedule III in some states).
I suspect that the problem with Benedryl/diphenhydramine in Zambia is because some bureaucrat has mistaken it with some similiar sounding controlled substance, such as benzadrine.

quote:

Originally posted by SGraves155:
[ I suspect that the problem with Benedryl/diphenhydramine in Zambia is because some bureaucrat has mistaken it with some similiar sounding controlled substance, such as benzadrine.

Karibu Africa!

quote:

What legally retarded bureaucrat came up with that?

A leaglly retarded AFRICAN bureaucrat, of course. I'm surprised you asked.

quote:

Originally posted by jetdrvr:

quote:

What legally retarded bureaucrat came up with that?

A leaglly retarded AFRICAN bureaucrat, of course. I'm surprised you asked.

Yeah, silly me. Someone should tell these dolts that billions of people world wide have taken Benadryl without a prescription for the last 50 years.

If it had any abuse potential at all, I'd have customers paying big cash on Saturday night for it, like my Oxycontin experiences.

As to writing medical prescriptions to yourself, to the best of my knowledge it is perfectly legal.

I have been told its even legal with controlled substances.

Ethics are another matter. One can be hauled before the board of Medicine for one's prescribing habits and have the privilege modified/pulled- somehow I doubt the board in Minnesota would give a darn about a benadryl prescription though.

If a physician or pharmacist wants to get a supply of controlled substances for other's use, there is a separate set of reporting forms as Steve alluded to.

I may have gotten my choice of smiley a little confused.

That being said, I think its kind of interesting what various countries find as being "controlled substances," and I wouldn't be too surprised to find that what's on the list is based on what the customs inspector's family needs at any moment. I will say that I don't argue with those folks, and I've never had a problem. I had benadryl with me when I went to Zambia last year and was given no problems with anything, but the gentleman inspecting me did note the part of the passport that said "Physician" and promptly became very polite (as opposed to businesslike) and referred to me as Doctor or Sir (as I had been referring to him as Sir). Politeness gets you a long way, and I have found that Africans in general are a VERY polite people. Unlike this country....