prescription medication

[Guest Mrs. Max Powers]

is there any limit to the supply of prescription meds one can bring into china? is it different for different medications (eg. painkillers and anti-depressants vs. dandruff medication).

is it necessary to carry a letter from a physician in addition to a prescription if one is carrying a years supply of meds.

aside from finding a truly bi-lingual doctor, how can you translate prescription names?

[roddy]

There may be limits, but it's very rare to have your luggage searched as you come into China, and generally China seems to be more relaxed than what I'm used to anyway - things that you can only get with prescription in the UK are available over the counter here.

For translations, search Baidu.com for the generic name of the drug, and you should be fairly easily able to find a page from a Chinese pharmaceutical company with both the generic name and the Chinese name. Some pharmacies keep a Chinese-English medical dictionary, but not always.

All drugs in China will have the generic name on the box, so you can check you are getting what you want.

Roddy

[doumeizhen]

Although roddy makes some good points, there are some medications that are not available here (yet). A year ago you couldn't get things like wellbutrion, a antidepressant, and you would have to get them in Hong Kong. To make sure, why don't you call ahead to one of the local foreigner hospitals (listed in lonely planet, etc) and make sure they are available here.

From what I hear you cannot have medication send to China.

I have heard nothing about medications and crossing the border, although a years supply might seem suspiscious to them. *shrug* I know nothing here.

Hope this finds you in time.