Prescripton medicines and over-the-counter/customs into Great Britian

Hi, I was in the UK in May and have been there several times. I take my two prescriptions in their original, labeled bottles on board in my backpack—in my Ziploc bag. I also have a small bottle of ibuprofen or acetaminophen in the same Ziploc along with unboxed chewable Pepto tablets and a small bottle of Lactaid tablets. I don’t declare anything. I enter immigration, pick up my checked bag, and head for the train. But, my meds are pretty run of the mill.

In my checked bag, I carry a small tube of hydrocortisone (unboxed) and Band-Aids in my make-up bag. Think mini first aid kit, if you will.

If you forget anything, you can stop and restock at Boots for most things you need.

The rules on prescription drugs are here:

https://www.gov.uk/take-medicine-in-or-out-uk

Normally a prescription from your GP would suffice, as this would have all the information they request. Very simple.

Non-prescription drugs do not require this. I've never seen anything about it having to be unopened- I normally carry in an open pack of panadol and a few other basics.

Noone can say whether you'll be inspected, but in decades of traveling to the UK it's never happened to me.

That said, follow the rules just in case...

If the medication is for personal use only, you don't have to declare them.

Every OTC drug you mentioned is available as an OTC drug in the UK. (Boots is the largest pharmacy chain and is owned by the same parent company as Walgreens.)

As long as you can prove that your Rx's are for you--perhaps have a copy of the label attached by your pharmacy if you don't bring the original container--and you are only bringing enough for your stay and perhaps a few days more just in case, they aren't going to freak out over non-controlled substance drugs.

As for OTC, I buy large bottles--cheaper--and take what I think I'll need in pill pouches. I make sure I note the name of the drug on the pouch. (If they are really concerned, they can test the drug.)

I enter the UK a few times a year. I, unfortunately, have to take quite a bit of medication. My stash is big but I'm not worried. I've never been stopped and even if I am, I can account for everything.

Customs officers are trying to stop people from smuggling in drugs for resale or those deemed illegal. Not your blood pressure medication.

Simon got it, ignore the rest. Do what the UK says.

The rules on prescription drugs are here:
https://www.gov.uk/take-medicine-in-or-out-uk Normally a prescription
from your GP would suffice, as this would have all the information
they request. Very simple.

But Simon may not know that in the US the information required by the UK is not on the prescription. The information required by the UK from the link he provided is:

If you’re not a UK resident, you will need to carry a letter of proof that the medicine was prescribed for you.
The letter must include:
- your name
- the dates you are travelling to or from the UK
- a list of your medicine, including how much you have, doses and the
strength
- the signature of the person who prescribed your drugs

Any discussion about what you can get away with and what someone thinks they really want is not relevant if you want to comply with UK law.

What is not mentioned in UK government link above is how to carry ... in original containers or not. I guess "not" is legal in the UK. But, if you were to get checked and you didn’t have them in the original containers, I suspect that would complicate the situation for you.

I do what the first few posters do but do not actually get a letter from my GP.

Happy travels!

I wonder if showing the prescription in MyChart (or a similar patient portal) would count for the doctor's note?

Susandogmuseum-
Check the link above as it tells you exactly what you need to know. The other people who have issues may have just gotten a thorough agent that day or were carrying more meds than were needed for the length of their stay so a red flag was up.

I ALWAYS take a new letter(as in the week I leave for my trip) from my GP (even if he isn't the one who prescribed the meds, he will be able to sign a letter because he is aware of all of my meds I am on from various doctors) with me when I travel overseas. ALWAYS carry them in a CURRENT prescription bottle where it is labeled with what is inside. I have always chosen to "declare" them and when I do, the customs people will wave me off as though they are not interested in that and simply ask "anything else?" so I think they are mainly looking for people who will have multiple bottles that could be selling drugs overseas? I don't know. I offer them the letter and they push it back at me and never view it, but I will still carry it. Better to have an not need than to need and NOT have! :)

I also do not declare over the counter meds like ibuprofen/Tylenol/Picot, etc. because the countries I have been to all say that I am allowed to bring them in if they are in their own bottles and in small amounts for personal use. Don't bring a Costco bottle of 200 Aleve, but 30 of them for a 30 day trip should be acceptable. Again, I think they are looking for someone who is carrying multiple full bottles and only staying for a few days. I just went through at Heathrow and did not see ONE person to declare to at customs or passport control so I have no idea where I was supposed to "declare" anything there. I walked through e-gates and had no one to tell.

Always follow the rules that the country you are entering offers, but for the most part, it isn't that big of a deal. The letter is important to have even if they don't list it because if the customs person has a question, it is all right there in black and white. My doctor does it multiple times/year for me and has it waiting at the front desk-no charge. Usually I call his nurse and tell her I need it.

Read further down the link. It says,

“Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you if your medicine contains a controlled drug. You can also check the drugs listed on the packaging of your medicine and search for them on the controlled drugs list. The list does not give names of medicines, only drugs that are used in medicines.”

There is a link to a list of medications that are on the “controlled” list.

Personally, I interpreted the “letter” requirement as related to drugs on the controlled list.

The U.K. info is inconsistent. You will notice on this page specific to controlled drugs
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/controlled-drugs-personal-licences
it states, “ We recommend you carry a letter from your doctor or prescribing clinician. You may need to show this at the border.”
Clear as mud, right? One place it sounds like you must have a letter and another place it is listed as optional.

I just bring a copy of the prescription info (the pharmacy) with my meds. I don’t know anyone who would waste the time of their doctor to get a permission slip to take their cholesterol meds (or other routine meds) to the UK. If you were taking an opiate, it would be a different story.

Thanks for the great feedback and info everyone! Now I can plan accordingly.

Happy travels!

"I just went through at Heathrow and did not see ONE person to declare to at customs or passport control so I have no idea where I was supposed to "declare" anything there"

This has been the case quite often when I travel - there is a red phone you're supposed to use to declare things when the red channel is unattended.

Let's put it this way.....if everyone bringing a prescription into the UK had a letter from their doctor and needed to declare personal meds, the line at the "Red" customs lane would snake onto the runway. As it is, finding the red lane isn't easy. You will see almost everyone goes through the green lane. (In fact, at T3, the exit sign is at the green lane.)

Most of the time exiting the green lane, I don't even see a customs officer. They're watching us but we don't see them.

There are levels of controlled drugs. The drugs on the controlled lists and the levels of control are different for every country. The UK and Republic of Ireland have different lists. Scotland and Wales make a few exceptions from the UK last I checked. The US lists are different than any of these. Also keep in mind that common OTC drugs in the US, melatonin for example, are prescription only in the UK, controlled and banned in other countries. Don't assume that only narcotics are controlled. Look up all your drugs on the UK list and see if any of them are controlled at any level in the UK. Get your GP to write you a letter with the information required by the UK. You've got a lousy doctor if they are so glib about this and don't quickly write you the required letter. My GP included ALL my prescriptions in her letter, plus her contact info, and that was so incredibly smart and considerate. That letter travels with me all the time now, with family contact info written in the top margin. Don't listen to all the Americans who say they never got caught and have no intention of complying. Too many Americans have the habit of looking for ways to cheat every rule, custom and law they can get away with. Don't go there. It's not respectful of the country you are visiting.