My colleague has requested me to to carry some prescription medication ( very strong pain killers for neuropathic pain) from UK to Qatar for this dad who has run out of medication. His dad is on a one month holiday in Qatar from the UK.

He is proving me a doctors letter and prescription (NHS) in his Dads name to carry along with me. He is a very good friend and I want to be able to help him. However I am worried about Qatars strict regulations re carrying prescription meds. Any advice would be appreciated?

Or even if you can tell me where I can get those medications in Qatar I may be able to help him indirectly

Don't do it. You only have downside risks.

As above, don't do it. The Authorities have been cracking down on the importing of prescription meds for over a year now.

I knew someone at work who was stopped at airport arrivals carrying some sleeping pills without a doctor's prescription in his name. He was taken straight to the Immigration Detention Centre, spent three days there before having his RP cancelled, being deported and banned from entering Qatar and the other GCC countries. His car and his belongings in his apartment were all left behind. His employer fired him immediately too.

Just not worth the risk, even if you have a Doctor's prescription in your own name. Best go visit a GP once you arrive in Qatar and get a locally issued prescription. I'm guessing that the current blockade will mean some specialist drugs will be hard or impossible to source. But that's just how things go.

If he has the correct paperwork tell him to Fedex/DHL the stuff, do not under any circumstances carry someone else`s drugs!!!!

What exactly is the medication's name?

This is what i was given
Zomorph 20mg
Pregabalin 20mg
Amitriptylinr 10mg

42 of the first 2 and 21 of the last one

That's a lot of pills to pack into a condom and shove up your arse.

Are they on the controlled list?

Honestly I don’t know if they are on the controlled list.

Do not do it. He should go and see a medic in Qatar. You want to appear on the front page of the newspapers ?

Speaking as a proper doctor, just don't even think about it.

Zomorph is the biggest problem....morphine.....

Thanks for the advice. In the end decided against bringing it to Qatar as the downside risk (albeit low probability) was too high to bring it with me.

British woman locked up in Egypt for nearly a month over husband's painkillers 'could face death penalty'

I saw that too- tramadol is an opiate but still- possible death penalty??!!

It’s treated as drug smuggling. They are on the banned list and it is published by the Department of Health etc. so can’t feign ignorance I’m afraid.

Tramadol the drug of choice nearly everywhere in the M.East as well, get caught with just one and it is jail time!