Medical kits are a complicated subject. A medical kit template with recommended medical equipment, supplies and POMs (prescription only medications) is included in WMT manuals. This can be scaled up or down depending on group size, duration and any special needs related to the environment you are travelling to (add malaria standby treatment for the tropics, omit high altitude drugs for life at sea!). WMT works with the pharmacist at Nomad in the UK to facilitate our lay alumni (on Explorer courses) obtaining medicines for up to 2 years after completing a course with WMT. This is one of the services that sets WMT apart from other training providers.
On all Medic courses we discuss medical kits and a suggested a template to work from but Medic courses do not include authorisation to obtain POMs.
See also the Medical Director’s Medicines Update and MDB No. 12 re counterfeit medicines.
See ISTM Pharmacist Professional Group Database on International Regulations on Importation of Medicines for Personal Use for country by country specific advice for bringing in medicines.
The following is an extract from WMT’s BMC SUMMIT magazine article about medical kits.
Medical Kits
by Barry Roberts
Take the minimum necessary to deal with the broadest array of potential problems. Ensure that each team member has a personal supply of paracetamol and blister pads and an adequate supply of personal prescribed medications. It may be a requirement to have a comprehensive base camp kit and smaller, basic portable kits for satellite teams. You can improvise splints and stretchers but not medications or sterile equipment.
You may need supplies to cope with the following:
Environment – altitude drugs, sea sickness
Eyes – local anaesthetic drops, antibiotic drops, spare glasses for contact wearers
Infection – antibiotics to treat dental, chest, gut and skin infections (oral antibiotics treat simple bacterial infections or can buy time in more serious infections), oral rehydration sachets
Teeth – emergency filling kit
Skin – blister pads and tape, cling film for burns (can also be used to splint), steristrips, surgical “superglue”, iodine, local anaesthetic, antihistamines
Sickness and pain – prochlorperazine can control nausea and vomiting (thus reducing dehydration) and simple analgesics (e.g. paracetamol with ibuprofen) taken regularly are effective for significant pain. Forget about getting hold of controlled drugs like morphine.
Protection – gloves
Sterile pack – containing needles, scalpel, syringes, forceps, scissors, cannulae, suture, suture holders, dressings
Don’t advertise your medical kit at borders, police check posts and customs. Medicines are valuable in poor countries and some countries don’t take kindly to travellers carrying valium, codeine based drugs and needles. Packing it in a bright red bag with a cross on it is asking for trouble. Take official looking copies of the contents list and the prescription authorisation to purchase POMs (prescription only medications).
Don’t wait until the week you depart to start thinking about getting hold of POMs. Unless you have WMT training and obtain your meds through our pharmacy partners (Nomad), your GP may not be enthusiastic about taking responsibility for providing you with the relevant prescriptions if you don’t have appropriate training.