Flying into Australia - Bringing Medication

[woodsmiths]

On arrival into Australia you will be asked to complete an incoming passenger card.  Question 1 asks if you are bringing a number of items into Australia, including medicines.  If you are, you tick yes and on presentation of your card you will be asked what items you are bringing in.  An honest answer and supporting documentation is all that is required for prescription medication.  In having reentered Australia over more than 50 times over 40 years I have always answered yes if carrying medicines and have always explained that I have prescription medication and have never had to show the medication or the prescription.   This shouldn’t pose any issues for people who answer honestly.

[SteelCity Cruiser]

We arrived this morning, answered 'yes' to the med questions, went through the "nothing to declare" line and breezed straight through, no questions even asked.  Thanks for the advice all!

 

[chubbypiggy]

8 hours ago, SteelCity Cruiser said:

We arrived this morning, answered 'yes' to the med questions, went through the "nothing to declare" line and breezed straight through, no questions even asked.  Thanks for the advice all!

 

Is question #1, the med. question?   Thanks.

[SteelCity Cruiser]

48 minutes ago, chubbypiggy said:

Is question #1, the med. question?   Thanks.

Yep.  They were really busy though with several flights from Asia and the middle east arriving about the same time.  The Australian government web site plainly says that they 'profile' and I'm guess that 2, cheerful and organized (we had everything ready for their look-see) old folks from the US didn't fit their profile concerns!  LOL!

 

[GeezerCouple]

27 minutes ago, SteelCity Cruiser said:

Yep.  They were really busy though with several flights from Asia and the middle east arriving about the same time.  The Australian government web site plainly says that they 'profile' and I'm guess that 2, cheerful and organized (we had everything ready for their look-see) old folks from the US didn't fit their profile concerns!  LOL!

 

 

This is precisely how we've felt when crossing borders with our meds, regardless of whether we need to say "yes" or "no" (depending upon the question wording and specific regulations, etc.).  We always have the same supplies with us, and... all ready to display if requested.

 

The most it ever got to was at one passageway, there was a desk off to the left, and the person there beckoned us over.  (It was less than 10 feet out of our straightline path.) They asked about meds/drugs (forgetting which word was used), and that's when I unzipped a satchel and reached in, saying something like, "Yes, here they are..." and they smiled at us and literally waved us away with their hand.  I don't know why they asked "us" to come over... we were as SteelCity Cruiser described themselves: "2, cheerful and organized (we had everything ready for their look-see) old folks from the US didn't fit their profile concerns!"

 

Of course, that "appearance" can't be guaranteed a free pass, or some "others" would be using that "disguise"...!

 

I'm also pretty sure that these "friendly agents just smiling and asking an occasional simple question" often have terrific training and are all hawk-eyes for behavioral hints of nervousness or whatever, just like the immigrations agents who are asking "Purpose for your visit?"

 

Sometimes, for some people, perhaps especially those only recently "crossing borders", one might feel nervous about the process.  My guess is that's a different "type of nervousness" than what these agents are looking for, but that's just a guess.  I have no such training at all... other than an ability some decades ago to detect the look in a guilty child's eye as they fidget while they create some silly excuse about something... 😡

 

GC

[AZjohn]

10 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

This is precisely how we've felt when crossing borders with our meds, regardless of whether we need to say "yes" or "no" (depending upon the question wording and specific regulations, etc.).  We always have the same supplies with us, and... all ready to display if requested.

 

The most it ever got to was at one passageway, there was a desk off to the left, and the person there beckoned us over.  (It was less than 10 feet out of our straightline path.) They asked about meds/drugs (forgetting which word was used), and that's when I unzipped a satchel and reached in, saying something like, "Yes, here they are..." and they smiled at us and literally waved us away with their hand.  I don't know why they asked "us" to come over... we were as SteelCity Cruiser described themselves: "2, cheerful and organized (we had everything ready for their look-see) old folks from the US didn't fit their profile concerns!"

 

Of course, that "appearance" can't be guaranteed a free pass, or some "others" would be using that "disguise"...!

 

I'm also pretty sure that these "friendly agents just smiling and asking an occasional simple question" often have terrific training and are all hawk-eyes for behavioral hints of nervousness or whatever, just like the immigrations agents who are asking "Purpose for your visit?"

 

Sometimes, for some people, perhaps especially those only recently "crossing borders", one might feel nervous about the process.  My guess is that's a different "type of nervousness" than what these agents are looking for, but that's just a guess.  I have no such training at all... other than an ability some decades ago to detect the look in a guilty child's eye as they fidget while they create some silly excuse about something... 😡

 

GC

Agree, they have their way of seeing things that do not look right.

like you, I don’t know anything about their training or what specifically they look for.

 

But I was once on a jury on a Federal case that started with 2 people crossing the US boarder with drugs (not medication) and the boarder agent explained a few small actions that the defendants did within the first 5 seconds that gave him cause to search in more detail.

 

I actually find it kind of interesting how it’s done in the real world and not in some fiction movie.

[cruisetilidrop]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:11 AM, SteelCity Cruiser said:

We arrived this morning, answered 'yes' to the med questions, went through the "nothing to declare" line and breezed straight through, no questions even asked.  Thanks for the advice all!

 

Were you prepared with all medication in separate containers with labels? I used to using the 7 day medication containers. Just need to know if I have to get smaller ones as I get 90 day supply.  Thanks

[GeezerCouple]

36 minutes ago, cruisetilidrop said:

Were you prepared with all medication in separate containers with labels? I used to using the 7 day medication containers. Just need to know if I have to get smaller ones as I get 90 day supply.  Thanks

 

It depends upon how each country defines their regulations, etc.

IF they say something like individually labeled bottles (and describe the labels with some official requirements, etc.), then... that IS what we do.  FULL STOP.  We are going to be entering some *other* country, and those laws and enforcement may be very different from what we experience "at home".

Why tempt fate?  All it would take is some grumpy agent who perhaps misunderstood what someone said, and... you can find yourself in a different line.  We can't necessarily avoid that, but we *can* be prepared by having followed their written rules.

 

As for the "smaller containers", we get tiny ziploc baggies, and ask the pharmacist for a new set of "stick-on labels".  (We usually ask about 2 weeks prior to wanting to pick them up, so the pharmacist can do it during any down time, rather than... "I need it today!!")

 

I got this idea when one of our regular prescriptions was dispensed in... a little ziploc type bag with the regular label stuck on it!

 

Then we just keep those same little baggies and re-use them for the next trip.  Another nice thing about those little baggies is that they can be compressed, so there's not a lot of extra "air volume".  Among the problems with the plastic Rx containers is that they are rigid, so they don't stack or store easily.  Worse, that rigid space is often full of... lots of air! 😠

 

When we switched to "all little ziplocs" for Rx pills was when our pharmacy cut down on the sizes of those amber plastic pill containers.  They no longer carried the smallest two sizes. That meant that an Rx for, say, 10 pills was put into the same size container that could also have held 100 (or even more).  What a complete waste of space for travelers!

 

Anyway, once we've got that all set, it's a breeze to "use it again" for the next trip. 🙂 

Likewise, any physician letters are kept together and used for the next trips.  Ditto the copies in the cloud.  Every few years, we might update some of this.

 

I don't understand the questions that are of the type, "When you are entering a foreign country, do you abide by their laws and regulations?"  Um, *yes*!  Full stop.

 

GC

 

[SilvertoGold]

What about generics OTC like aspirin, tylenol? Those little ziplock bags are great, but with generics how would one "prove" what they are as with prescription pills and Rx labels? 

Thanks for any help with this.

[cruisetilidrop]

3 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

It depends upon how each country defines their regulations, etc.

IF they say something like individually labeled bottles (and describe the labels with some official requirements, etc.), then... that IS what we do.  FULL STOP.  We are going to be entering some *other* country, and those laws and enforcement may be very different from what we experience "at home".

Why tempt fate?  All it would take is some grumpy agent who perhaps misunderstood what someone said, and... you can find yourself in a different line.  We can't necessarily avoid that, but we *can* be prepared by having followed their written rules.

 

As for the "smaller containers", we get tiny ziploc baggies, and ask the pharmacist for a new set of "stick-on labels".  (We usually ask about 2 weeks prior to wanting to pick them up, so the pharmacist can do it during any down time, rather than... "I need it today!!")

 

I got this idea when one of our regular prescriptions was dispensed in... a little ziploc type bag with the regular label stuck on it!

 

Then we just keep those same little baggies and re-use them for the next trip.  Another nice thing about those little baggies is that they can be compressed, so there's not a lot of extra "air volume".  Among the problems with the plastic Rx containers is that they are rigid, so they don't stack or store easily.  Worse, that rigid space is often full of... lots of air! 😠

 

When we switched to "all little ziplocs" for Rx pills was when our pharmacy cut down on the sizes of those amber plastic pill containers.  They no longer carried the smallest two sizes. That meant that an Rx for, say, 10 pills was put into the same size container that could also have held 100 (or even more).  What a complete waste of space for travelers!

 

Anyway, once we've got that all set, it's a breeze to "use it again" for the next trip. 🙂 

Likewise, any physician letters are kept together and used for the next trips.  Ditto the copies in the cloud.  Every few years, we might update some of this.

 

I don't understand the questions that are of the type, "When you are entering a foreign country, do you abide by their laws and regulations?"  Um, *yes*!  Full stop.

 

GC

 

Thanks, I got new “little bottles” and they still were too big for 2 weeks of meds. I’ll ask for just the labels. I use the baggies at times too but I just write on them what it is. This way it looks more official with pharmacy label. 

[woodsmiths]

With generic over the counter medications simply bring them in their original packaging or in the blister packs they come in, which are all labeled.  Bringing bags full of unlabelled multi-coloured tablets and capsules may attract some interest from officials.