Medications

[Distinctive-Destinations]

All I know is if you travel with your pills in the actual prescription bottles, no one can say you don’t have them. We bring ours in the actual bottles with no issues. I don’t want to risk being held up (or worse) at customs by some pedantic new guy trying to make a name for himself.

[omahabob]

On 7/14/2024 at 1:59 PM, CILCIANRQTS said:

Without the original prescription bottle, how will they know what drugs you’re carrying?
I suppose you could wait for an hour while they try to identify them with a Physicians Desk Reference book, but do you think they’re anxious to do that for thousands of people per day??

You don't need a PDR or pharmaceutical catalog. It's all online. I have had my medication confiscated when it wasn't in the original container, as have others. So, although it may be rare, it does happen. Do you really want to take the chance?

Edited July 16 by omahabob

[Distinctive-Destinations]

4 minutes ago, omahabob said:

You don't need a PDR or pharmaceutical catalog. It's all online. I have had my medication confiscated when it wasn't in the original container. So, although it may be rare, it does happen. Do you really want to take the chance?

This is my stance too. While it may be inconvenient to have less luggage space with actual bottles, it’s still way less inconvenient than trying to get an emergency refill done in say some foreign country with limited time at a port. 

[CILCIANRQTS]

38 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

This is my stance too. While it may be inconvenient to have less luggage space with actual bottles, it’s still way less inconvenient than trying to get an emergency refill done in say some foreign country with limited time at a port. 

Hey, I’m on your side!
But there are a lot of people on here that say “Just put them in a baggie and keep your fingers crossed.”

[julig22]

56 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Hey, I’m on your side!
But there are a lot of people on here that say “Just put them in a baggie and keep your fingers crossed.”

No, a lot of people are saying just put them in a pill organizer. Big difference over putting them in baggies or alternative containers with original labels. Just what is an original container? A generic plastic pill container that some tech filled and slapped on a label. Again, it's the LABEL, not the container.

Note, I'm old enough to remember when pills came in paper envelopes with labels on them.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Traveling domestically, or on a "closed loop" cruise, I do feel that pill containers and maybe pictures of your original scripts should suffice.

However, if I'm traveling internationally where I am arriving/departing from a foreign airport, I'll keep the original bottles in my carry-on bag.  

People can and will do whatever is best for themselves.  FWIW, here are the guidelines from the US Dept of State:

 

[herbanrenewal]

On 7/14/2024 at 7:28 PM, julig22 said:

Yes, it's about the label - not the container. My pharmacy had no issues with giving me labels that I could put on more reasonably-sized containers for travel.

I've traveled to a few countries where there are fairly strict regulations with respect to medications. So I go as prepared as I can - but they've never actually checked.

This is what I do, also. Its no problem for the pharmacy to print an additional label and i use those on small plastic bags, one for each med. Using small bags for meds takes up much less room in my carryon. My pharmacist has even printed up over the counter med labels for me.

[Peachypooh]

Some people are comfortable just filling and bringing the daily pill containers and nothing else. I take the pill bottles with labels  because my pharmacy includes the color shape and an ID number of the pill on the bottle plus the name

[RIvacationgirl]

Appreciate all of the responses.

Leaving tomorrow, hope all of the IT issues get squared away quickly!

[marynjohn]

I take a lot of meds.  I use pill cases because the bottles fill an entire 12X18 lidded container.  I do have every med listed in a spreadsheet, pictures on phone, medical history in a spreadsheet.  All spreadsheets are printed because you never know if you'll have internet.  

I've never had anyone even look at them, and I always keep them in a carry on bag with the printouts.  Of course, now that I said that...  😉

[queenhcc]

I also take a lot of meds.  I use the little plastic daily pill pouches from Wal Mart  that are marked AM or PM. I've never had anyone even look at them, and I keep them in my carry on bag or purse.