Traveling abroad requires you to carry medicines with you, but if you are not careful, those medicines can cause you big trouble. There are guidelines that one must follow when bringing medicines to Qatar that have been published by the Indian Embassy in Qatar. The following article will help you understand the rules and procedures regarding the carrying of medicines in Qatar if you often travel there and are unclear about the laws. 

General Thumb Rule for Carrying Medicines to Qatar

It is generally recommended that, if you are on medication and carrying certain prescription medicines, you must have an original doctor's prescription, and the medicines should be accompanied by the original packaging and literature to make it easy for customs authorities to identify them.

Medications that are over-the-counter in other countries are considered controlled items in Qatar because they produce effects that are illegal.

1) Prescriptions are required for many common cold and cough remedies, which you might think are harmless.

2) It is prohibited to take sleeping tablets, antidepressants, and hormone replacement therapy drugs in Qatar.

3) Among the controlled substances are alfentanil, codeine, fentanyl, amphetamine, ketamine, morphine, methadone, and methylphenidate.

Non-permitted: Medicines containing drugs or psychotropic substances

The country does not allow the importation of medicines that contain narcotics or psychotropic substances. Among these are Lyrica, Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium), Zolam, Clonazepam, Codeine, Methadone, Zolpidem, Pregabalin, Tramadol.

Qatar's Supreme Council of Health has issued a circular to all embassies that outlines the procedures and regulations to follow when patients travel to Qatar or depart from Qatar with medicines containing drugs or psychotropic substances.

The following are the main points from the circular:

1) Drugs and substances that are banned internationally and locally are prohibited from being carried in the country.

2) Anti-drugs and dangerous psychotropic substances listed in lists (a) and (b) of Law (9) of 1987 are prohibited. The same applies to the items listed in schedule No. (3) of the same law.

3) In order to carry such medicines, an application is given to the Department of Pharmacology and Drugs Control at the Ministry of Public Health.

Procedure for Granting Special Permission

Medicines can be transported to Qatar through a special provision. Please follow the steps below to request special permission to transport medicines to Qatar.

1. You must attach a medical report from your hospital or provider that must not be older than six months old. In the report, you must provide the following information:

a) The patient's information 
b) The duration and type of treatment 
c) Medical diagnosis 
d) Medical prescription 
e) The scientific name of a medicine, its form, and its schedule doses 

2. Or you may also attach a medical prescription no older than six months, granted in the patient's name by their healthcare provider. It must include the following:

a) The diagnosis of the disease
b) Treatment duration and usage instructions 
c) An official hospital seal 
d) The scientific name of medicines, their forms, and their dosages

3. The patient's ID card copy should be attached 

4. The patient must sign a pledge stating that the medicine will be used only by him or her. 

Approval of Grant

Subject to the validity of the medicines, approval can be granted to carry medications for a maximum of 30 days or for the duration of the patient's stay in Qatar, whichever is shorter. Following are some things the patient needs to keep in mind:

1) In case the medication exhausts, the patient should consult a specialist physician licensed to practice in a hospital to determine whether he should continue taking the same medication.

2) A specific medical file must be created in the hospital if the physician confirms that the patient needs to continue with the same treatment. It is necessary to obtain a medical prescription attested by the same hospital in order to prescribe the appropriate medicine. Local pharmacies would supply the medicine for the required period. If the medical condition warrants, the patient will continue treatment at the same hospital.

3) If this medicine or its alternative is not available in the local market. If that is the case, the hospital treating the patient can obtain this medicine from a distributor after obtaining approval from the Supreme Council of Health's Department of Pharmacology and Drugs Control.

Permission for Injection Medicines

1) In the case of medicines in the form of injections, approval can be obtained under the supervision of any local hospital in the name of the patient. As per the procedure for such medication, the medicine would be registered in the hospital file for personal use.

2) Excess medicines will be destroyed by the Department of Pharmacology and Drugs Control in the Supreme Council of Health.

Procedure for Special Permission for Diplomats

Diplomats or government officials (only) coming to Qatar will be allowed to carry medicine containing drugs or psychotropic substances for patients working with the diplomatic missions. In this case, the procedures would be as follows:

An application should be sent to the Supreme Council of Health's Department of Pharmacology and Drug Control, mentioning the head of the Mission or the custodian of the drugs. If not, the accompanying physician becomes the custodian of the medicine. Please attach the following with your application:

a) Detailed information about the medicines, certified by the relevant authorities in the Mission's country. This includes the scientific name of the drug and psychotropic substance, its form, concentration, size and quantity. Aerial transportation is the only means of bringing medications containing drugs and psychotropic substances.

b) To ensure that the medicines will be used solely by members of the Mission or delegation and will not be sold or used for any other purpose. 

c) To promise that excess medicines will be carried back and all used bottles will be destroyed. 

d) The delegation should pledge to provide information about medicine utilization, reasons for usage, excess medicine and destroyed ones to the Department of Drugs and Pharmacology Control in the Supreme Council of Health before departing.

After the application has been approved, permission will be granted to carry the medicines.

Upon Departure from Qatar

a) According to the above paragraphs on the procedure for granting permission and about medicines containing drugs or psychotropic substances, departing patients from Qatar will be treated the same as those coming to Qatar. The quantity of medicine allowed would be for a period of 30 days only.

b) A copy of the ID would be taken if the patient's medicine was not carried by him, but by one of his relatives (parents, children, brothers or spouse). The patient's written consent must be attached if the medicine is carried by the patient's representative. The ID copy would be taken.

Medicines that are banned in Qatar

- There are some drugs that are banned in Qatar, as we mentioned earlier.
List of banned medicines in Qatar  

- Another list of prohibited medicines has been published by the Indian Embassy in Qatar.
List of banned medicines in Qatar published by the Indian Embassy   

- Almost all GCC countries follow the same guidelines for travellers. But the list of banned medicines varies from country to country.   

Note:

- Only medicines containing drugs or psychotropic substances require the detailed application process described above.

- A healthcare professional is the only one who can give you advice about the contents of a medicine. It is therefore important to check the contents of your medication with your doctor.

- Make sure you do not carry large quantities of medicines.

- Usually, residents are allowed to take medicines for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure for a period of 1-3 months. Make sure you carry the medical reports, prescriptions, and original packaging.