ok to put medicines in shorthaul aircraft hold?

pigeonpie

Not sure where to put this question, but it is technical so here goes. A french friend is staying a month and has left her prescription tablets at home by mistake. Her doctor in France says to post them as aircraft holds on short haul flights are pressurised to the same temp as the cabin. Others say they are freezing, up to -50 degrees, in which case her tablets would probably degrade (about 2 1/2 hours in the air). We can get them chronoposted which AFAIK is a land based courier system run by the french PO but it's very expensive. My GP here does not accept foreign doctors' prescriptions so can't get them here

anyone an aviation fundi and know the answer to this one?
odd question, but thanks! We thought of calling Air France but are not sure that they do the post between SW France/Paris/London.

philnicandamy

or..you could ask for details of medication to be faxed to your GP or instead of the french prescription take a list of current meds & explain the situation regards getting replacements, the french guest could be treated as a temporary resident at your GP surgery & they should not refuse treatment for that. Bear in mind though some GPs will have a charge for writing a replacement script (usually around £25 for consultation and £7-10 for prescription..although EU country should be no charge but it's no Guarantee)

As medication travelling via air you could mention to the airliner, the cargo hold usually is only kept at cabin temp if livestock/flowers etc are travelling so wouldn't be sure about that, you could mark the package & inform the airliner they could hold in in cabin woth staff but i'ts something i've never come across

scottishlass

pigeonpie wrote: »

Not sure where to put this question, but it is technical so here goes. A french friend is staying a month and has left her prescription tablets at home by mistake. Her doctor in France says to post them as aircraft holds on short haul flights are pressurised to the same temp as the cabin. Others say they are freezing, up to -50 degrees, in which case her tablets would probably degrade (about 2 1/2 hours in the air). We can get them chronoposted which AFAIK is a land based courier system run by the french PO but it's very expensive. My GP here does not accept foreign doctors' prescriptions so can't get them here

anyone an aviation fundi and know the answer to this one?
odd question, but thanks! We thought of calling Air France but are not sure that they do the post between SW France/Paris/London.

I traveled to South Africa which the majority of my medication in the hold and they were fine when I got there.

pigeonpie

Overpaid, useless GP won't help as her treatment is not the UK "care pathway" and won't just duplicate a french GP's 3 yr old treatment SIGH.
I think we will risk the post and wrap it up well in a jiffy bag. I tried to get hold of Air France customer care and the line cut me off each time. Not sure if the post goes by ordinary domestic flights anyway.
hope for the best!

kingmonkey

The GP would need to see the patient as a temporary resident and would be pleased to give him the correct treatment. A letter from the French GP would help with understanding the medical background.

I'm glad the GP doesn't blindly duplicate the treatment plan.