Prescription Drugs Question

[bigjohn42]

Hello Folks, can someone tell if its ok to just take my weekly drug holder or do i need to bring the whole bottle to show that they are prescription? Thanks, John :)

[cp556]

You'll get varying opinions here, John.

I'm of the mind to take the original labeled Rx container ... not only for inspection purposes but in the event something happens and medical personnel need to know exactly what you're taking....

Enjoy your cruise.

[mamaofami]

I usually take my weekly drug holder and a list of my perscriptions. But, I know many people prefer to take their meds in the original bottle.

[jtl513]

Hello Folks, can someone tell if its ok to just take my weekly drug holder or do i need to bring the whole bottle to show that they are prescription? Thanks, John :)

We're extra careful and do both. DW and I each carry the original bottles in our own carry-ons, and another full-cruise supply of everything in the other's carry-on.

[willowtak]

I take mine in little plastic bags for each day/night. I also take a typed list of all the medications including the stsrength and dosage. Works for me.

[sail7seas]

Please consider bringing more meds than you expect to need. We always bring an extra 5 or 6 days worth.....just in case.

 

In the event you are delayed getting home for whatever reason, it is one less thing you would have to worry about.

 

We bring the pharmacy bottles and I make up our weekly pill cases once we arrive at either our hotel (for pre-cruise stay) or to the ship.

 

[corona5657]

I take a weekly pill container, and a list of meds with their strengths. I also make sure to write the doctors name and phone on the list. I also take extra because you never know. I add to the list any allergies I may have to meds also since I am allergic to penicillins and this can be very dangerous.

[knitlady037]

If any of the drugs are controlled substances they must be kept in their original containers with your name on the label . This is especially true if you are travelling by air to your cruise.

[Tinknock50]

My Mom takes many pills, but I just bring the weekly dosage containers....I put in a few extra.

 

I also got a small piece of thin cardboard, pulled the labels off the original bottles and stuck them to the cardboard. I did this mainly for airport security, but no one has ever asked about it.

[bigjohn42]

Hey Folks, Thanks a bunch for the great feedback, we are traveling with my folks and my in-laws so thought i would get the skinny to advise them of their options, as well as for me:) , Thanks Again, John

[duck tune]

I always take the presciption drugs in the original containers (actually I save empty containers and fill the from the larger stock) but put vitamins and other over the counter supplements in the daily/weekly containers. I buy a small bottle of tylenol and antacids and take them in the labeled containers. I also make sure to take a few days more than the trip length just in case. Remember to keep your medications in your carry on luggage.

[TheHappyWanderer]

I ask my pharacist to print lables for my meds. So I have those, and the meds safely sowed in a week dispenser.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always take all our prescriptions in their original bottles - we have our phamacist prepare smaller bottles for traveling.

 

At PIT airport one time, TSA did look at and open some of DH's medicines.

 

And we always take extra - just in case...

[Jade13]

I ask my pharacist to print lables for my meds. So I have those, and the meds safely sowed in a week dispenser.

 

Interestingly, if your insurance requires you to buy meds from mail order (or use them since they are cheaper), these (a least Medco) will not print extra lables. They say its a legal reason. I initially wanted some purse size labled bottles, but they don't have them either (when they couldn't get the small size bottles, I had asked for extra labels.) I guess I will ask my HR to look into this for the future.

[m steve]

with our supply in a plastic bag since no 2 look alike. Just take a trip days supply and never take containers. Never had a question about this. We brought back RX from Mexico and Belize and no inspection. You could take a months supply of ***** for a 7 day cruise and who cares. Since most cruisers are of a certain age customs expects that they take some meds. Now if a 20 year old had 300 Oxycotin and displayed it there could be a problem. Never had a question on a flight either.

[ti2xgrr]

From what I understand when traveling you must take medications in their original bottle with label. I take a barbituate and have been questioned about it once or twice while traveling (and I travel a lot for work and pleasure). Check www.tsa.gov for regulations

[Tinknock50]

with our supply in a plastic bag since no 2 look alike. Just take a trip days supply and never take containers. Never had a question about this. We brought back RX from Mexico and Belize and no inspection. You could take a months supply of ***** for a 7 day cruise and who cares. Since most cruisers are of a certain age customs expects that they take some meds. Now if a 20 year old had 300 Oxycotin and displayed it there could be a problem. Never had a question on a flight either.

 

Matches my experience.

I think if you are bringing huge quantities of meds, that looks suspicious.

But in a weekly pill dispenser container, I can't see that causing any red flags.

[Skeezics]

I had to chuckle reading this thread. Whoever thought 20 years ago we would be at the point of being concerned on how to carry our meds. . . time does march on. . . . .now, did I take my pills today?

[xsnowman99]

Transporting meds is always an interesting experience. I take our pills in our weekly pill boxes--however, I put my insulinin a plastic bag with the original label on it since it is liquid (you can use a larger bag than for your toiletries). Because I also transport needles, I put it all together in the bag with a note from the Dr requesting permission for me to take it on the plane. I never put it in checked luggage because it cannot be easily replaced if my luggage gets lost. I usually tell someone at security..only one time have they actually paid any attention to it, and then it was a glance. My biggest issue is how to carry extra insulin and keep it on ice at the same time.

[MrsMuir]

My diabetic father always traveled with insulated bags for his insulin, which he took 3 or 4 times a day. You can tuck in a couple of small gel-filled freezer thingys in the bag. That seemed to work for flights from the West Coast to Europe.

[WillieF]

Our Pharmacist is a real gem - she happily gives us a cruise length (plus a weeks supply) of meds in small labeled bottles. A printed list giving Doctors names etc. etc. over the past few months is also supplied. We transfer to our pill boxes after boarding. We too split everything between our carry-on baggage.

 

Works for us!

[sail7seas]

My diabetic father always traveled with insulated bags for his insulin, which he took 3 or 4 times a day. You can tuck in a couple of small gel-filled freezer thingys in the bag. That seemed to work for flights from the West Coast to Europe.

 

Do they allow the gel packs to be brought aboard airplanes these days? Thankfully I don't need them but am curious. I wonder if that is something on the 'not allowed' list.

[gooselace]

Do they allow the gel packs to be brought aboard airplanes these days? Thankfully I don't need them but am curious. I wonder if that is something on the 'not allowed' list.

 

Apparently. My DH carries his insulin with gel packs in insulated cases made for diabetics. Has taken them on several flights recently with no problems. Small one in his jacket pocket, little larger one in carryon. Incidentally, he is of foreign descent, so might look more questionable than some, but he breezes right through.

[doctork]

The TSA website indicates that you can take such medically necessary liquids as icy gel packs or liquid medications in quantities larger than 3 ounces, but in practice, I read of people having them confiscated by TSO's who don't understand and properly interpret the rules. A colleague of mine encountered a TSO who declared that he had "too many" narcotic tablets - more than necessary for the flight duration, in her opinion - and confiscated the "excess," even though he had had recent surgery and the non-liquid pain meds were in a correctly labelled bottle, prescribed appropriately by the surgeon for post-operative pain.

 

Since then I have printed out the TSA website rules for carrying medications, and bring the printout with me in my carry on bag, along with the medications in their original labelled bottles. The medications are too expensive to risk a TSO throwing them out, and it can also be harmful to be without necessary prescription drugs for the trip duration if this happens on the out-bound leg of the air travel.

 

And I agree skeezics, who'a thunk it 20 years ago!

[Sueseb]

We , too, have Medco as a mail order pharmacy and although they do not have small bottles they always accommodate me with a second empty, labled bottle of my RXs so that I don't have to carry a 3 month supply with me. I would check with them again. Sue