You flew all the way to Italy and left your Ambien or Ativan at home.

It's your first night in Rome. You're exhausted, jet-lagged, and you just realized your sleep medication is sitting on your bathroom shelf in New York. You think — I'll just go to a pharmacy tomorrow. But you can't. Italian pharmacies will not dispense sleep or anxiety medication without an Italian prescription. Your US prescription means nothing at an Italian counter. You cannot explain your way around it.

You could try to find a local doctor — but private practices in Italy don't take walk-ins and you have to pray the doctor will have time to see you. Your only real option is the emergency room, where you may have to wait for hours, explain your medical history in a foreign language to a doctor who has never met you. All for a prescription you already have at home.

We are Italian-licensed physicians. We know your situation, we speak your language, and we can issue your Italian prescription by telehealth — today. You walk into the nearest farmacia, hand them the prescription, and sleep tonight.

The Traveler Clinic is not an emergency service. For life-threatening emergencies call 118 (Italy) or 911 (US).