Bringing meds in a sun-sat box

[ottmar]

My wife takes five different pills every day and has one of those boxes compartmentalized and labeled from Sunday to Saturday. She doesn't want to bring all the bottles along but she could bring the papers for each prescription.

 

Would there be any problems?

 

...Ott

[welldone60]

Thats what my wife does. Has a copy of the scrip.

[okgirl]

My wife takes five different pills every day and has one of those boxes compartmentalized and labeled from Sunday to Saturday. She doesn't want to bring all the bottles along but she could bring the papers for each prescription.

 

Would there be any problems?

 

...Ott

 

Thats what I've always done and in 26 cruises I've never had a problem. I might in the future xerox a copy of my RX's before I send them in just to have a copy with me.......

 

Just because I haven't had a problem in the past 26 cruises doesn't mean I won't on the next one.......those shoreside agents can be rather fickle...

[cruisenanny]

We do this every cruise & it had never even occurred to me that there could be a problem!!:eek: Granted, most of our daily pills are vitamins & supplements, but a few are script meds.

So to answer your question, we have done it many times with no issue, but it sounds like taking a copy of the script would be wise!

[crewsweeper]

My wife takes five different pills every day and has one of those boxes compartmentalized and labeled from Sunday to Saturday. She doesn't want to bring all the bottles along but she could bring the papers for each prescription.

 

Would there be any problems?

 

...Ott

DW does this every cruise. Works well. Put it in your carry-on just in case there's a problem with the checked luggage. No agent is going to hassle you over this. some folks bring their RX just in case there's a ?, but it's really not necessary.

 

Works for vitamins and over the counter stuff too.

[Room Service!]

We use those every cruise too. Make sure you put them in your carryon.

[Ken076]

My wife takes five different pills every day and has one of those boxes compartmentalized and labeled from Sunday to Saturday. She doesn't want to bring all the bottles along but she could bring the papers for each prescription.

 

Would there be any problems?

 

...Ott

 

Absolutely no problem. ken

[Bunkie103]

I do this too and have never had a problem. However, if and when I am taking pain medications, specifically narcotics, with me I always take them in original bottle.

[cuyahoga11]

I do this too and have never had a problem. However, if and when I am taking pain medications, specifically narcotics, with me I always take them in original bottle.

 

Agree with this. I dont want to be caught with loose narcotics that I cannot account for esp at the airport.

[JenniLynn]

It doesn't sound like you will have a problem with the CCL side of things and 9/10 times you will be fine at the airport too... But if a TSA agent decides to he could make you dispose of them. If you keep them in labeled prescription bottles and have a copy of the script you are covered at the airport, but "loose pills" regardless of carrying a copy of the script could possibly be considered "contraband" and may be disallowed.

 

I am a former flight attendant and I have seen sweet grandmotherly ladies crying because their pill box was not allowed to go through security. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen.

 

My husband has several pills that he takes daily and he just asks the pharmacist for smaller bottles of each thing when he gets his refill before we leave (He only has to do this once a year because the expiration date is usually 12 months from the fill date). Our pharmacist is great about it and will put a week or two worth of pills in the smallest bottles he has (with appropriate and legal labels) then fill the rest of his 3-month supply in larger bottles.

[maldenmusic]

Never had a problem with this at all.

[vacruizer]

Agree with this. I dont want to be caught with loose narcotics that I cannot account for esp at the airport.

 

Good plan. I have seen an overzealous TSA agent at the airport hold someone up because they needed to identify what the pills were. The guy was pretty upset and was going to miss his flight while they identified verified he had prescriptions for them.

 

Another good idea is to always have extra meds beyond what you need in case the ship or flights were to be delayed getting back. If you are on anything criticial it's a good idea to travel with a few extra days.

 

We also lock anything in the safe onboard that has any type of "street" value like pain or anxiety meds for flying. Chances are nothing will happen, but I still remember a thread from way back on here where it seems the steward was filching pills out of someone's bottle. :eek: Better safe than sorry on that one. They didn't take the whole thing, the person just ended up short some. I'm sure 99.9% of them are honest, but you never know when a bad apple will turn up.

[golfadj]

I carry my prescription meds and vitamins in one little bottle and never a problem. We do drive though.

 

Will take 5-7 days extra for each just in case of a delay getting home.

[divingmedic]

By law all narcotics must be in the bottle they were prescribed in. I have seen people arrested for carrying narcotics with out the RX bottle.

[Gazelle2]

I use the sun-sat holders for both prescription and non-prescription meds. For the prescription meds, I also carry the bottle with the most current prescription on the label. On the rare occasions when we take along narcotic meds, we ALWAYS carry them in their original prescription bottles and NEVER put them in the sun-sat holders.

[RWolver672]

I always carry mine in the original bottles. Like golfadj said, you never know what might happen. Mine come in 90 day bottles. All six of them fit nicely in a gallon Ziplock bag. After our Glory cruise in 2005, we stayed in Florida for an extra week. On the third day I suffered an aneurysm and was hospitalized for a week. After I got out, I had to wait two more weeks before the staples were removed. I was glad I had all of my drugs with me.

[djwood24]

never had any issues

But do agree...if you need the neds to live...bring a script with you or use script bottles

 

Narcotics are a controlled substance and are treated totally differently than other meds

it is illegal to NOT have them in the original container and are subject to seizure and the carrier arrest

[uppitycats]

I have been one of those unfortunate souls who has been stopped by an overzealous TSA agent. I had to identify each pill in the cute little Sun-Mon box, what it was for, how often I took it -- even with a copy of the prescription with me for him to read. Nearly missed my plane. NONE of my pills were narcotics -- they were basic things like blood pressure meds, an anti-spasm drug, a diruetic, and multi-vitamins.

 

While it may indeed not happen...and I watched "tons" of folks go through before and after me without being stopped, all it takes is one agent who gets curious, and you end up having to go through the hassle.

 

When I get to the airport all I want to do is get ON the plane, get TO my destination, and be done with it...not sit there counting pills. So I take my meds in their original bottles, with a prescription label.

 

I also take at least one week extra, to account for delays in travel and/or dropped/lost/stolen meds, and a copy of the prescriptions. All is packed in a zip bag which either fits in my purse or on the top of my carry-on, so I can grab it out and show the agent as I pass through. Once I started packaging it this way I've had no problem.

[sparks1093]

DW brings the original bottles and her pill box. Once onboard she fills up the pill box.

[golfadj]

I have been one of those unfortunate souls who has been stopped by an overzealous TSA agent. I had to identify each pill in the cute little Sun-Mon box, what it was for, how often I took it -- even with a copy of the prescription with me for him to read. Nearly missed my plane. NONE of my pills were narcotics -- they were basic things like blood pressure meds, an anti-spasm drug, a diruetic, and multi-vitamins.

 

While it may indeed not happen...and I watched "tons" of folks go through before and after me without being stopped, all it takes is one agent who gets curious, and you end up having to go through the hassle.

 

When I get to the airport all I want to do is get ON the plane, get TO my destination, and be done with it...not sit there counting pills. So I take my meds in their original bottles, with a prescription label.

 

I also take at least one week extra, to account for delays in travel and/or dropped/lost/stolen meds, and a copy of the prescriptions. All is packed in a zip bag which either fits in my purse or on the top of my carry-on, so I can grab it out and show the agent as I pass through. Once I started packaging it this way I've had no problem.

 

 

Another reason not to fly. What is the TSA's business for someone having a week or two worth of pills with them?

[M&MGirl1]

Sissy is diabetic and takes several pills each day for that and other health issues. We've found packing everything in it's original container with the script on it and packing an empty M-S pill box works best if we're flying.

 

Once we're done with the flight she can put everything in the right order in her pill box (and we've never had an issue with security at embarkation with this) so she has it that way for the cruise.

 

We've found that some TSA agents can be a bit "overzealous" (to put it politely) about scanning our luggage and questioning her about her meds even though she warns them about the insulin and syringes before our luggage goes through the scanners. Getting fed up with this is a large part of the reason our last cruise and our upcoming one are out of NOLA, which we can drive to.

[sparks1093]

Another reason not to fly. What is the TSA's business for someone having a week or two worth of pills with them?

 

I think TSA has an extraordinarily tough job but I'm with you on this one. They should only be looking for threats to the plane and passengers. What're we gonna do, chuck pills at the pilot?

[golfadj]

I think TSA has an extraordinarily tough job but I'm with you on this one. They should only be looking for threats to the plane and passengers. What're we gonna do, chuck pills at the pilot?

 

TSA has a critical job but some of the things they do have me shaking my head.

 

Perhaps you chould sneak into the galley and put sleeping pills in the pilots dinner?

[Sparky2]

I take a few prescriptions plus several vits & mins. I put them in the 7 day containers.

 

However, I do take small containers from the pharmacy that have the label on them, filled with enough pills for my cruise.

 

Therefore, if TSA makes me throw out the contents of my pill boxes, I still have the RX meds. I can live without my vits & mins for a couple of weeks but not my meds.

[truchattycathy]

OP, I do this, but I take two sets. One in my luggage and one in my purse. If one is lost, I have a replacement, and if I am delayed I have extras.

 

She will be fine. Have a great cruise.