Importing pharmaceuticals from Singapore

I'll be travelling to Singapore shortly, and I've found that I can purchase prescription medicines from pharmacies in Singapore airport without a prescription on my way back here.

Question is, is there anything really worthwhile purchasing without a prescription to bring back that won't get me in hot water with customs?

This is a pretty common type of question (ie. from a traveller to Asia). Variants range from:

* What prescription drugs are available OTC there?
* Can I take illicit drugs (E, acid, etc) with me on the plane?
* Can I find drugs locally instead?

The country varies, but the answers are usually similar. Asian countries have insanely harsh penalties for illegal drugs, while some of them have lax OTC limits... so if you can stick to pharmacy drugs it sounds legally safer. However, many of these countries have tightened up in recent years, and stories of people bringing back suitcases of valium and ketamine might sound like urban myths to people who have gone looking for these mystical little pharmacies and been knocked back at every turn and/or been made to feel very unwelcome.

If you know the country and you know the locals, you might be in luck finding good places to get things you can't get in Australia, but I guess there are risks on both ends of the plane trip. IIRC the only stumbling block once you have the drugs, is then bringing them back to Australia - in the event of having your bags inspected, I think they would expect you to have permission to import (ie. a precsription for) drugs in your possession which are scheduled here.

BigTrancer

I'm not sure where you found out about buying prescription meds OTC in Singapore but I find it highly dubious. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that the laws here surrounding all medications are very strict (I live in Singapore ATM). Even ibuprofen has only recently been made available without prescription, and Sudafed is kept in locked cabinets.

Do be very careful - not only in Singapore, but when bringing them back to Australia - as BT says you can be required to show prescriptions and I have had to do this (for benzos for example). I can't think of anything with abuse potential that they wouldn't want to see a script for. You are really putting your ass on the line trying to get anything in Singapore. But good luck anyway! It's news to me.

I've read this post very carefully, including BT's post. Which part of the following aren't I comprehending correctly?

Do NOT make posts containing URLs or sources to obtain ANYTHING. This includes quasi-legal and legal substances (e.g., mushrooms, spores, nitrous oxide, pharmaceuticals etc).

If you consider "pharmacies in Singapore airport" a source, then I spose guilty as charged.

The purpose of Bluelight is for harm minimisation. Not a net hook up source for illegal and semi-legal subtances and materials. Saying I could "purchase prescription medicines from pharmacies in Singapore airport without a prescription on my way back here" as was indicated by a web site I found is as much of a 'source' according to your understand as saying 'I can get drug X from country Y".

On topic, after reading aunty's post I searched around a bit more and couldn't find any other sites with similar information regarding purchasing prescription meds from the airport prior to departure. Twas a bad idea to begin with anyways

Just spend your money on duty-free booze instead, it's about the cheapest airport duty-free around. (Does that count as a source? )

Hey aunty, want me to smuggle in some chewy for ya? Just don't complain about how it tastes.

LOL! I brought a case of Eclipse over with me, seriously.

Singapore is a great country but no fooling, I thought I would be able to get the odd big weekend in here but it is just not worth the penalties. Everyone here is SO scared of the CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau).

bringing back benzos

my friend is going to singapore soon and i want him to bring me back a bit of valium not much just personal use mabey 10mg and 20 pills or so, would he have any trouble through customs, this medication will be bought without a perscription

Yep, customs, if they find it will get in a twist about it. You need a perscription from your doc to bring it back in.

alright ill scrap that idea
thankz

not sure what the health system is like over there but certain other SE Asian countries have no problems handing over a perscription providing you pay the consultation fee in cash

^^

lol :D