List of prescriptions enough.

[Chickadee910]

Been cruising before but do I need to take all my rx bottles or is a print out of my rx s enough. I would much prefer to just pack my pill holder. Thank you.. Eurodam oct 30 Barcelona 

[Heartgrove]

I use two (morning and night) seven day pill carriers for daily consumption but we are usually cruising/traveling for 21+ days. That requires me to put my rx containers in a packing cube, but put vitamins/supplements in clear sandwich bags and then into the packing cube to save space.

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Heartgrove

[Loreto]

5 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

I use two (morning and night) seven day pill carriers for daily consumption but we are usually cruising/traveling for 21+ days. That requires me to put my rx containers in a packing cube but put vitamins/supplements in clear sandwich bags to save space.

That sounds like what I do!  I do take prescription bottles in my carry on .  Unfortunately our HMO does 90 days, so the containers are large.  

[CruiserBruce]

This has been debated here many times. Unless you are flying into a very authoritarian country, or carrying known very additive narcotics type medications, I wouldn't worry about the original medicine container. In the many debates here, no one has reported any issue in most of the worlds countries, again, unless you are flying into some tougher neighborhoods.

 

Personally, we have traveled to the European countries many times. Never been challenged about the meds we carry. We do carry one stronger painkiller in the Rx bottle.

[Boytjie]

The last time anyone asked me about my medications was on the Dutch/German border in 1984. And it was because two young guys traveling by car from Amsterdam to Hamburg raised suspicions about drugs. We had none.  

[drowelf]

2 hours ago, Loreto said:

That sounds like what I do!  I do take prescription bottles in my carry on .  Unfortunately our HMO does 90 days, so the containers are large.  

I'm in the same situation and since I spent most of the last 25 years travelling extensively for business for weeks at a time I had to come up with a more compact method to carry the pills. I purchased some much smaller containers and carefully peeled the prescription labels off the big jars and just applied them to the smaller containers. I could fit anywhere from 30 to 45 days worth of pills into the smaller containers, depending on the pill size.  I also got containers with non-child proof lids, which reduced the container size a good bit too. 

[Chickadee910]

Thank you all. That’s what I thought but wanted to be sure.

[atexsix]

DD is doing pill holder for two weeks, I'm doing bottles, I have 4 of them.

[atexsix]

17 minutes ago, drowelf said:

I'm in the same situation and since I spent most of the last 25 years travelling extensively for business for weeks at a time I had to come up with a more compact method to carry the pills. I purchased some much smaller containers and carefully peeled the prescription labels off the big jars and just applied them to the smaller containers. I could fit anywhere from 30 to 45 days worth of pills into the smaller containers, depending on the pill size.  I also got containers with non-child proof lids, which reduced the container size a good bit too. 

I did that too, darn pharmacy insists on using the biggest containers they can find.

[KirkNC]

We have never had a problem traveling with our meds including trips to Japan which has rules requiring documentation on many prescription drugs.

[zelker]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

We have never had a problem traveling with our meds including trips to Japan which has rules requiring documentation on many prescription drugs.

I was worried about Japan on our first trip there, even for my OTC pseudoephedrine which is on their no-no list (and ended up "covertly" mixing it in with a bottle of tylenol and ibuprofen just in case and told DH that I felt like I was smuggling heroin in 😄).  They could have cared less about what we had with us, prescriptions or otherwise.  

[KirkNC]

30 minutes ago, zelker said:

I was worried about Japan on our first trip there, even for my OTC pseudoephedrine which is on their no-no list (and ended up "covertly" mixing it in with a bottle of tylenol and ibuprofen just in case and told DH that I felt like I was smuggling heroin in 😄).  They could have cared less about what we had with us, prescriptions or otherwise.  

There was lots of talk and teeth mashing on our roll call as the cruise started in Yokohama.  Some went and completed everything which as I recall you had to send for the authority’s approval.  I said the heck with it and, like you, became a smuggler.  Even though I had visions of Midnight Express on my mind, no one even asked about prescription medication upon arrival.

[tamsno]

However you choose to package it up, make sure you have a pharmacy list and the generic names of everything in case for whatever reason you need to refill in another country.  Happened to my friend while on a cruise in the UK and pharmacy was able to help.  Needed to go to a health center which wrote it and it was either free or nearly.  OTC items seldom an issue.

[iancal]

We have never been stopped or questioned.  Anywhere.  Even the odd time when we had drugs that were considered to be highly controlled prescription drugs in our own country.

 

Think of the practicalities of customs/immigration personnel questioning or examining anyone and everyone who is traveling and entering a country with a personal drug  prescription of some sort...let alone OTC vitamins etc.

 

The enlightening part....how much less expensive (sometimes incredibly less expensive) these drugs often are in other countries when one needs to have an RX filled while traveling.

Edited August 25, 2021 by iancal

[kazu]

The most inquiries I have encountered has been at the airport terminal to clear immigration to get into the U.S.  I was asked what medications were in my luggage and carry on one time.

[zelker]

51 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

There was lots of talk and teeth mashing on our roll call as the cruise started in Yokohama.  Some went and completed everything which as I recall you had to send for the authority’s approval.  I said the heck with it and, like you, became a smuggler.  Even though I had visions of Midnight Express on my mind, no one even asked about prescription medication upon arrival.

That's exactly what I experienced on our roll call too, before embarking in Yokohama (we were on Celebrity).  I actually did contact the authority in Japan to try to get more clarification and finally said screw it!  (love it!!  Midnight Express 😂)

[zelker]

21 minutes ago, kazu said:

The most inquiries I have encountered has been at the airport terminal to clear immigration to get into the U.S.  I was asked what medications were in my luggage and carry on one time.

Maybe they wanted to make sure you, as a Canadian, weren't trying to bring in an entire container-load of Rx's to sell on the Black Market since you get them for so much less than we do in the States!  🙃

[St. Louis Sal]

37 minutes ago, iancal said:

We have never been stopped or questioned.  Anywhere.  Even the odd time when we had drugs that were considered to be highly controlled prescription drugs in our own country.

 

Think of the practicalities of customs/immigration personnel questioning or examining anyone and everyone who is traveling and entering a country with a personal drug  prescription of some sort...let alone OTC vitamins etc.

 

The enlightening part....how much less expensive (sometimes incredibly less expensive) these drugs often are in other countries when one needs to have an RX filled while traveling.

It is also surprising how many drugs that are prescription only here in the U.S. are OTC in other countries.

 

Sal

[iancal]

Canada may seem less expensive.  Yet, we have found prescriptions to cost far less in some European countries and in Asia than in Canada.

[iancal]

8 minutes ago, St. Louis Sal said:

It is also surprising how many drugs that are prescription only here in the U.S. are OTC in other countries.

 

Sal

RX equals higher price,  MUCH higher margins. 

 

Eliminates chance of OTC price and product  competition from the likes of other manufacturers and from  the big box stores. 

 

Just look at the  price differences  in something as basic  as vitamins and supplements from multi level home marketing orgs and essentially identical competing  OTC products at a Costco or other large retailer.  Multiply those factors for RX.

 

Extremely strong pharm lobby group ensures that this does not change.

Edited August 25, 2021 by iancal

[clo]

17 hours ago, Chickadee910 said:

Been cruising before but do I need to take all my rx bottles or is a print out of my rx s enough. I would much prefer to just pack my pill holder. Thank you.. Eurodam oct 30 Barcelona 

Considering that during the last year there have been occasions where pax have been quarantined for pretty long periods of time, I think I'd go back to carrying the originals simply to have a large amount.

[DaveOKC]

4 minutes ago, clo said:

Considering that during the last year there have been occasions where pax have been quarantined for pretty long periods of time, I think I'd go back to carrying the originals simply to have a large amount.

Plus it would be good to have if you need to end up getting refills.

 

[SilvertoGold]

Australia is well know to be hyper about the prescription drugs brought into the country.  Mostly, they appear to be interested in quantity.  They don't want you to start selling them on the street.  Steroids, barbituates, opiods, all the habit forming and just plain bad stuff.

 

We took a list of OTC and prescription drugs to show Customs on arrival at the airport.  They know what they are talking about.  One look -- "fine, have a good stay"!

[SusieKIslandGirl]

18 hours ago, Loreto said:

That sounds like what I do!  I do take prescription bottles in my carry on .  Unfortunately our HMO does 90 days, so the containers are large.  

We belong to Kaiser and when it's time for a refill before a cruise I take my large containers to one of their clinic pharmacies (rather than the usual mail order) and ask for small containers. I explain why I'm asking for them and it hasn't been a problem.  

[Mary229]

I follow the guidance from the US and Canadian governments which say bring the original pill bottle.  My bottle may be empty with my pills in a caddy but I have the bottle.  I would think a paper doctor’s prescription would suffice.