It’
s not unheard of for foreigners to be detained overseas for mailing out or bringing in the same medicine they use at home. The ever-increasing number of seniors traveling abroad need to be aware of that possibility and what they can do to prevent it from happening to them.
Witness, for example, a recent news report about an American executive for Toyota who was arrested and detained in Japan for having her father mail her oxycodone pills. The narcotic painkiller is tightly controlled in Japan.
Overseas travel for seniors (age 60 and up) is on the rise, according to the U.S. CommerceDepartment. Between 1993 and 2012 the percentage of retirees traveling abroad rose from 9.7 percent to 13 percent. And, while seniors represent just over 13 percent of the population, they consume 40 percent of the prescription drugs and over 35 percent of all overthe counter drugs, according to the findings of a recent survey.
If you are taking medication and plan to travel overseas, here are some important tips.