If you are struggling with addiction and Methadone or some other maintenance therapy we can help you get back to the drug free life you deserve where you don’t have to worry about these issues.
Travel during Medication Assisted Therapy
For some people who are addicted to opioids or opiates, and ready to get help, they will begin their recovery with agonist medications such as Methadone or Suboxone (i.e. buprenorphine).
Known as medication assisted therapy, these substances can be very useful.
Agonist medications are an opioid-based medicine that are prescribed to treat the cravings and withdrawals associated with an addiction to opiates or opioids.
Methadone and buprenorphine are the two most commonly prescribed agonist drugs. For those of you who may be travelling abroad to a rehab, such as Siam Rehab in Thailand, or returning home after rehab, you might wonder if you can travel during medication assisted therapy affects.
This same question might arise for those who are required to visit a doctor every day for the medication, or are only prescribed a few days of medicine at a time.
The following information should help you to understand what you might expect when you travel during medication assisted therapy with methadone or buprenorphine.
Travel during Medication Assisted Therapy with Buprenorphine
In general, buprenorphine has less restrictions than methadone. That being said, the rules and guidelines can vary from one country to another. In the United States and England, providers may be able to prescribe the drug for a longer period of time. In Australia, getting a prescription for this medication is possible, but may come with its challenges. In Europe and other countries, there are many countries with licensed opioid treatment providers, also known as methadone clinics. At these places, medication, including buprenorphine, is dispensed through the facility.
When it comes to medication assisted therapy at a rehab, every programme or doctor at the facility can impose their own regulations on the amount of buprenorphine can be prescribed at a given time. Many outpatient programmes will require daily participation in therapy; thus the medication is often administered each day. At some facilities, a doctor will give the patient one week’s worth of medication.
If you are going to travel during medication assisted therapy, you will need to think about the length of time you will be away and the amount of medication you need. In general, if you are travelling for a few days, you won’t have any issues. Most likely, the provider will give you a couple of days worth of medication – especially if you are stabilized. In general, it is recommended that you avoid planning any lengthy trips or vacations during the early days of treatment.
In any case, you should give your provider as much notice as possible before you travel during medication assisted therapy. This is especially true if you are travelling a long distance. Bear in mind, in some countries you may have a hard time getting your insurance to cover more than a certain amount of medication at a time (i.e usually one month). If you’re travels exceed that time, you will need to think about how you will get the prescription filled especially if you are not in the country or your home state/burough/district.
Travel during Medication Assisted Therapy with Methadone
Methadone is another common drug used in medication assisted therapy. Travelling with methadone can be a bit more challenging than buprenorphine. This is due to the legislation in multiple countries, as well as stigma. Methadone is highly regulated throughout the world and considered to be a powerful opioid agonist. If you are taking methadone, and want to travel during medication assisted therapy, it is prudent you plan ahead.
More than likely you will need to prove your travel plans. Plane tickets, hotel bookings, and travel itineraries are useful. If you are a newer patient and have not been participating in medication assisted therapy for very long, it is possible that your provider may be reluctant to prescribe you more than a few days of the drug. If you are travelling for an extended period of time, you may be asked to partner with another provider or programme for guest dosing. This means that you will need to visit a clinic in your travel destination to receive your dose of methadone. Plan ahead and make sure that you have arranged everything in advance.
Flying with Agonist Medication during Medication Assisted Therapy
When it comes to flying with methadone or buprenorphine, you should review the rules of the commercial airliner company, as well as any laws that may apply to the location you have a layover in, are transferring in, or arriving in. It is recommended that you consider the following:
- Keep the medication in your carry on bag or purse
- Don’t pack the medication in your check in bags. If they are lost, your medication may be lost too.
- Carry the proof of prescription with you, and make sure it is valid.
If you have been given liquid methadone, and are concerned about taking this on board the aircraft, make sure it is in a sealed bottle and resealable bag. In general, the liquid prescriptions are not more than the amount of liquid allowed on a plane. In the event of your bottle being more than the allowed limit (i.e. 3.4 ounces or 100 ml), as long as you have your prescription with you, it should be okay because it is a medication.
Travel during medication assisted therapy might bring forth concerns or complications; however, it is not as difficult as you might think. It should be noted that if you are travelling internationally with either of these medications, you should always make sure that you can travel with them in the countries you will be stopping in – even if it’s for a layover.
To learn more about medication assisted therapy, or our opioid treatment programmes in Thailand, call Siam Rehab now.
Read more about medication assisted therapy here:
https://siamrehab.com/medication-assisted-therapy-for-addiction/
