What medical apps are worth having with you before and during a flight?
🕗 5 minutes | September 8, 2025 | Material prepared by Politykazdrowotna.com
Travel, although full of adventure, often comes with health challenges—from remembering to take medication to accessing medical expertise in a foreign country to managing food allergies or coping with stress. Fortunately, in the age of smartphones, more and more apps allow us to take care of our health—both before departure and during the trip, even when we are offline.
Abstract
Traveling by plane can be a health challenge, but the right mobile apps can help you prepare. MyTherapy reminds you to take your medication, adjusting the schedule to time zones, while Air Travel Health offers personalized health advice for your flight. In emergencies, offline apps such as First Aid—Offline Guide are useful, and for those with a fear of flying, Calm or Breathwrk are recommended.
Before traveling, it is worth using the ZnanyLekarz app for a quick online consultation. Keep in mind that you need a special cross-border prescription to purchase medications abroad, and a regular Polish e-prescription is usually not accepted. Always check if your medications are allowed in your destination country.
Preparing for flight: health monitoring and medication planning
Long flights can be challenging for the body when we are struggling with chronic illnesses. Fortunately, mobile apps come to the rescue, not only reminding us to take our medication but also advising us on how to prepare for the flight.
MyTherapy
This app is for people with chronic illnesses or those who simply don't want to forget to take their medication. MyTherapy reminds you when it's time to take your medication, and before a flight, it allows you to prepare a dosage plan for your trip, considering time zone changes. Importantly, it also works offline.
Air Travel Health
Although less popular, this app offers health tips tailored to the length of the flight, the passenger's age, and even medical history (e.g., thrombosis, hypertension, asthma). It allows you to prepare a list of things to take with you and reminds you of preventive measures such as stretching and proper hydration.
On the plane: emergency support – offline matters
Internet access while traveling depends on the airline's offer, and in a medical emergency, quickly checking reliable information can be crucial. Now you can have your health information at your fingertips on your phone, even offline.
Offline Medical Dictionary / First Aid – Offline Guide
Apps such as First Aid—Offline Guide and Medical Terminology Dictionary allow you to search for symptoms, read about possible causes, and take appropriate first aid measures. They are user-friendly, do not require an internet connection, and often include illustrations or simple step-by-step instructions.
Calm / Breathwrk
For some people, flying is a much more intense experience. Apps such as Calm or Breathwrk offer breathing and relaxation techniques to help you manage tension or fears related to turbulence. It's a good idea to download the audio sessions in advance – they will be available offline throughout the flight.
For people with allergies and chronic diseases
Traveling with chronic illnesses, allergies, or cancer requires not only good organization but also access to the right tools. In emergencies, time, clear communication, and specific information are crucial—even if we are thousands of miles away from home.
Practical advice before traveling with medications
- Ask your doctor for a cross-border prescription in PDF or printed form, preferably in English.
- Have a certificate of treatment or chronic illness if you are taking medication for your use.
- Check in advance whether the medication you are taking is approved in your destination country.
- If you have the ZnanyLekarz app, ask for a prescription with the option of use abroad.
Travel Health Guide
Helpful for people with diabetes, epilepsy, and heart disease. The app contains emergency response procedures and allows you to save medical information in several languages—useful in case of an emergency landing in a foreign country.
Food Allergy Translate
This app translates food allergy messages into different languages—it's worth having it handy so that you can inform the crew or fellow passengers about dietary restrictions if necessary.
Oncology without borders – when you need support while abroad
Traveling with cancer or during treatment requires special care, planning, and access to reliable information. OnkologBezGranic.pl was created with such patients in mind.
The website offers:
- educational content on cancer diagnosis and treatment in different countries,
- psychological support, information on patient rights, insurance, and treatment logistics,
- accessible language and specific advice—important when it is difficult to find help in a foreign healthcare system.
By using the program offered on the portal, you can, among other things, send your test results, ask questions, clarify doubts, contact us on WhatsApp, or take part in individual sessions. In addition, you gain access to webinars on topics tailored to your situation, Q&A sessions, and individually tailored educational materials.
“For years, I have been supporting cancer patients who feel lost in the system. I help them understand their diagnosis, plan their treatment, and regain a sense of control,” says Kamil Karpowicz, clinical oncologist and founder of Oncologist Without Borders.
What should you do if you need a doctor before your flight? ZnanyLekarz will help you
It is worth remembering that not all health problems require a visit to the clinic. Sometimes, just before a flight, you need a quick consultation: can I take antibiotics on the plane? Is ear pain a contraindication to flying? What about getting vaccinated for specific tropical diseases? In such cases, the ZnanyLekarz app may be the ideal solution.
The app allows you to:
- quickly schedule a teleconsultation—often on the same day,
- consult online with doctors of various specialties (e.g., travel medicine, ENT, internal medicine),
- receive e-prescriptions and e-sick notes without leaving your home,
- access other patients' reviews and doctors' schedules.
Although an internet connection is required for the consultation itself, the app stores some data offline (e.g., visit history, account details, prescriptions). It is a great tool for both people with chronic conditions and those who want to make sure they can safely board a plane.
What about prescriptions abroad?
You can use a prescription issued in Poland abroad, but there are some important conditions and restrictions that you should be aware of before you travel. Below you will find the most significant information.
Cross-border prescription
This is a special type of prescription that can be filled at pharmacies in other European Union and EFTA countries (i.e., Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). In order for a prescription to be filled abroad, it must meet certain formal requirements.
In Poland, any e-prescription can also be issued as a cross-border prescription, but the doctor must issue it in accordance with the above requirements and indicate that it is intended for use abroad.
What must such a prescription contain?
- the patient's first and last name,
- the patient's date of birth,
- the full international name of the drug (the name of the active ingredient, not the trade name),
- the form of the drug, dosage, quantity,
- the date the prescription was issued,
- the doctor's full details (first name, last name, title, qualifications, contact details, and country of issue).
A standard e-prescription from Poland does NOT always work abroad
- Polish e-prescriptions (with a 4-digit code and PESEL number) do not usually work automatically in foreign pharmacies, even within the EU.
- If you want to buy medicine abroad, ask your doctor for a so-called cross-border prescription—preferably in paper or PDF form, with the data in English or the Latin names of the substances.
- Some countries (such as Germany and France) allow such prescriptions to be filled, but this is decided by the local pharmacist, who may refuse if the information is incomplete or illegible.
What about reimbursement abroad?
- Medicines purchased abroad are not often reimbursed by the Polish National Health Fund (NFZ)—you will have to pay the full price.
- After returning home, you can apply for reimbursement of the costs of treatment abroad (as part of cross-border healthcare), but this procedure requires documentation and the fulfillment of specific conditions.
Summary
Nowadays, traveling is not just about suitcases, tickets, and passports—it's also about apps, medical documents, and digital tools that can have a real impact on our health and safety on the road. Especially if you suffer from a chronic illness or are taking medication with you, it's worth making sure you're thoroughly prepared in advance.
With the right tools at hand, you can take care of your health as effectively as if you were at home. Because today, travel is not just about the destination.