To bring medication and treatment equipment into the airplane cabin, you need medication prescriptions or a printout of the electronic prescription and an English-language certificate of diabetes care signed by a doctor. A ready-to-use certificate template is available on the Finnish Diabetes Association’s website.
Instructions for preparing for your trip:
Take care of the necessary vaccinations in time.
Get travel insurance and check what it covers.
Fill out the “Medical Certificate” with your doctor.
Print out a summary of your prescriptions from Omakanta.
Carry a Diabetes ID and keep it with you at all times.
Pack your medications and care equipment in your carry-on luggage (checked bags may sometimes get lost during travel) and keep the tools you use for measuring blood sugar easily accessible.
Keep blood glucose test strips, lancets, and pen needles in their original packaging.
Pack all insulins and tablet medications in your carry-on luggage.
Take a sufficient amount of insulin, about twice the usual amount, in case of loss or damage to pens.
Consider the destination's temperature and insulin storage in advance, for example by ensuring that there is a refrigerator in the hotel room or by acquiring a water-cooled storage case, if you are traveling to a warm country.
Keep insulins in their own packaging.
If you use an insulin pump, bring enough batteries, catheters, and insulin reservoirs, as well as instructions and supplies for a backup system (insulin pens) in case of pump malfunction.
Bring glucagon, keep it in its original packaging, and teach its use to your travel companion.
Be prepared for possible gastroenteritis and review the management of sick days in advance.
Find out the need for malaria medication in the destination country, get a prescription, and medication well in advance before the trip.