Medicines: taking them to China and bringing them back

In general, travellers may bring medicines for their own use in a reasonable quantity. Customs officers can inspect them and make the final decision. Keep medicines in their original, labelled packaging, in your carry-on bag.

The Government of Canada advises bringing a doctor's letter explaining why you take each medicine, and a copy of the prescription that shows generic and brand names. It also tells travellers to check with the foreign government office in Canada, since some medicines that are legal at home are restricted elsewhere.

China's Regulations on Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs (Article 44) let a patient bring strong painkillers and the most tightly controlled psychotropic medicines ("Class I") only if three conditions are met: the amount is no more than one prescription's maximum, you carry a medical diagnosis certificate from your hospital or clinic, and you carry your passport. Declare the medicines when you arrive. Customs decides on the basis of personal and reasonable use.

In China, one prescription for these medicines is small. Under China's prescription rules, an outpatient prescription for slow-release forms covers up to 7 days, and other forms up to 3 days. For patients with cancer pain, the limits are 15 days for slow-release forms and 7 days for other forms. In practice you can usually bring only one to two weeks' supply of a strong painkiller. For a longer stay, we plan with you and the treating hospital how further prescriptions will be issued in China.

ADHD medicines are treated differently from one another. Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) is a Class I medicine but is approved and prescribed in China, so it can be brought in under the rules above. Amphetamine and dexamfetamine (for example Adderall and Dexedrine, and lisdexamfetamine, Vyvanse, which the body turns into dexamfetamine) are also Class I, but they are not made or used medically in China and may be refused at the border. If you take one of these, talk to your own doctor well before you travel about an alternative.

Cannabis and products with cannabis or CBD are not allowed. Do not post medicines to yourself in China. Contact the Chinese embassy or consulate in Canada before you travel, ask in writing if you can, and keep their reply.

Health Canada's personal-use guidance says the limit is generally a 90-day supply, or a single course of treatment, whichever is less. Products must be in their original or dispensed package with a clear label. Canadian residents are generally not allowed to bring in prescription drugs, but there are exceptions, including continuing treatment that began abroad.

Declare the medicines to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) when you arrive. Health Canada's travel page for controlled substances says you must declare these at the border, and that the label should show the patient's name, the prescriber, the medicine name, the daily dose, the quantity and strength. A doctor's note is optional there but helpful.

Some medicines approved in China are not approved in Canada. Health Canada says that drugs without Canadian market authorization are usually accessible only through a Canadian doctor using the Special Access Program in specific circumstances. This means your Canadian doctor may not be able to continue a medicine started in China.

Before treatment, ask your Canadian oncologist what they can and cannot continue, and who will manage side effects at home. Ask the Chinese team for a written treatment summary and a plan for what happens after the cycles you receive.