Medication Requests for Flying
We occasionally receive requests from patients for sedating medication to help with flying. However, we are unable to provide these prescriptions due to patient safety concerns and the need to focus on clinical priorities within the NHS.
Medications such as benzodiazepines (e.g., diazepam) can cause unexpected effects, like making someone unusually aggressive or impairing their ability to follow instructions during an emergency. This could put both the crew and other passengers at risk.
Sleeping tablets are also not recommended for flying, as they may prevent passengers from waking up easily or moving quickly in the event of an emergency. Combining these medications with alcohol can have dangerous consequences. We don’t want anyone to be removed from a flight, face legal issues, or become incapacitated because of unpredictable medication effects.
Additionally, recent drug-driving laws may prevent you from driving after arriving at your destination if sedating medication is involved.
It is not the role of the NHS to make individuals fit to fly for personal or business trips. Due to the growing demands on general practice, we prioritize care based on medical need.
If you have previously been prescribed medication for this reason, please note that we can no longer fulfill such requests. This decision has been agreed upon by all senior clinical staff.
Many airlines offer free courses to help manage a fear of flying. You can contact your airline to find out more and sign up in advance. Additional resources are available here: