prescription drugs?

[dropkick]

Most of the older camping/hiking books recommend that you carry along some form of prescription antibiotic and pain pill(s) in your emergency medical kit.
They advise you to get it through your friendly family physician, or stock up next time you injure yourself.

I've never tried it.
What with the drug laws, getting it from a doctor could be iffy, and I'm not real sure about old medicines either.

However, a while back I sprained my ankle badly while on the trail, and if I hadn't been fairly close to my truck, and packing an ankle brace I could have been in trouble.
Since then I've thought about sounding out my doctor or even my veterinarian.

Anyone else carry meds, or have a suggestion?

[KLeth]

A physician or vetenarian can also help you to pack the right drugs.
E.g. I got an antibiotic cream from a vetenarian . . . . for use on my dog . . . But it's great for preventing cut or burst blisters from getting infected.
It's also important to get the correct drugs since quite a lot of drugs has side effects or interacts with other drugs, making even a small overdose or a "cocktail" extremely dangerous.
Never use old drugs or drugs that you don't know the origin of, this can have no, reduced or unecpected effects.

In general I'm against the use of drugs on hikes - We only carry drugs against headache and diereha.

[Frolicking Dino]

I have a more extensive 'first aid' kit than most. Besides the usual items, I carry about 2 ozs of a veterinary antibiotic called TERRAMYCIN 343 (widely available where farm supplies are sold). This can be mixed with water for use as an oral antibiotic (1 teaspoon / 5 ml taken 3 times a day) or a topical antibiotic. Check with your doc before using this if you are on prescription meds and never give this to a child (it won't harm them physically, but will cause permanent rust staining on the teeth in children)

In addition to 'Vitamin I' and naproxin sodium, I also carry a variety of prescription pain meds (because of my ortho issues). As for the laws and labels - I scan the extra labels that come attached to my prescription meds onto a single sheet and cut this to size. I write the numbers stamped on the pills beside the prescription for that pill on the scan for easy identification in the field (some look a lot alike). I keep this scan with my meds and has satisfied airport security, border security and a nosy VA state trooper that my mixed bottle of pills is legit.

I carry imodium AD (antidiarrhea), Claritin 24 hour (allergy), benadryl and simethicone (Gas-X) in single tablet bubble packaging.