Be careful and always carry prescriptions for medicines while coming to Qatar

Many of us may have experienced this scenario at the Hamad International Airport.

While home for vacations, we consult a doctor and get some medicines for personal use. On the way back, you carry the medicines with you, but is stopped at customs clearance. You have forgotten the doctor’s prescription for the medicine and it is confiscated.

You go through stressful times trying to explain the situation, but has to go away empty handed.

There is a solid reason for airline/customs staff to not allow you to carry medicines into Qatar without prescription. Some medicines may be banned in Qatar and can be taken only with proper prescription.

Qatar’s Pharmacy and Drug Control Department decides on which medicines are allowed in the country and which ones can be brought in by proper medical prescription.

There are qualified physicians posted at the country’s various entry points including HIA and HIA Air Cargo, and Abu Samra Land Border.

There are certain types of medications that are listed within the schedule of restricted and banned drugs, and some of them should be accompanied by an approved medical prescription.

Every traveller entering the country with medicines should declare them to the customs officers, whatever their type might be. These will be shown to the physician on duty to ensure whether they are compliant with the health regulations in Qatar.

Some of the main violations happen when travellers carry Tramadol pills, listed as narcotics, and other similar banned drugs.

To avoid these kind of situations, make sure you tell your doctor that you plan to bring the medicines into Qatar. This may allow him to prescribe medicines that are not strictly banned in the country.

However, bringing along an approved medical prescription is most definitely the best way around this scenario. In some cases, not carrying a prescription with you could put you in risk of being deported, according to a report from Doha News earlier this year.

The president of the Indian Cultural Center (ICC), Girish Kumar, advised that passengers with medication should alert customs officials as they arrive in the country to avoid any misunderstanding.

Here's some advice from the Indian Embassy for nationals coming into Qatar.