A type of painkiller readily available from certain airport pharmacies could get you arrested if you were travelling to countries where it is illegal.
Medication containing codeine, an illegal medicine in some countries, is sold at a branch of Boots pharmacy based in Heathrow Terminal 4.
One researcher was able to buy 32 tablets of co-codamol, a painkiller containing both paracetamol and codeine, at the airport, in an investigation conducted by The Independent.
They also informed the cashier they were travelling to Abu Dhabi, but were not discouraged from making their purchase.
Codeine, a substance which contain opiates, is illegal in United Arab Emirates destinations such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
It is included in the list of controlled medicines on the United Arab Emirates Interact website.
However, it is not just here where the painkiller – which is commonly sold in the UK – is illegal.
Codeine is also classed as an illegal drug elsewhere in the world, such as in mainland China and in Greece.
After Express.co.uk contacted Boots directly, Richard Bradley, Pharmacy Director, Boots UK commented on the findings.
“As a responsible pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, we help people to get the best out of their medicines, and sell them in accordance with UK legislation.”
He added as an organisation Boots will always make sure to provide advice about the active ingredient in certain medicines.
“In the case of over the counter products containing codeine we will always make sure the customer is aware of the active ingredient and provide the relevant healthcare advice for taking the product.”
“We would urge customers to check the Government Travel Aware website before they travel https://www.gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist where they can find relevant links to all the information they need to travel safely abroad.
“We are taking this opportunity to raise the awareness of our pharmacy colleagues in our airside stores of the resources available so that they can signpost customers to the Government’s website were appropriate.”
A Boots representative also drew attention to their health information website BootsWebMD.com, which shares information on how to take medicines abroad safety.
Customers using the Boots travel vaccination service are also provided with an awareness leaflet advising them to check local restrictions on medicines, they added.
