Taking prescription medications on trip

I travel with meds like that all the time and have never had an issue. If you are concerned, you could take photos of the prescription labels on the bottles you are leaving behind, so that you can show them if asked.

If these are critical meds you must take daily, make sure you are bringing enough to cover you in the event of an unanticipated covid quarantine. If you still want to avoid the bulk of the bottles, ziploc bags work.

I’ve been traveling, too, for many years with over 15 medications for me and hubby without a problem at customs or anywhere else (except for the weight of my carry-on!), but I do like the photo idea. Should the issue arise, at least it looks you tried. To cut down the weight a bit, you could divide up the three times for doses, count up the pills, and put them in 3 or 4 larger bottles. Requires a little daily effort to sort them out, but it works for me. Try traveling with a refrigerated Rx and 1/4” syringes with needles so tiny you can barely see them. More than once have I needed to present the doctor’s letter to airlines saying my little cooler and syringes were legit. Ah, if they were only concerned about unrepentant seat - recliners in your face, bruised knees, and kids kicking your seat!

I use 3-inch mini ziplock bags I bought from Joann Fabrics and Crafts. I tape the bottle label (or a copy) onto the ziplock bag. I bring extra in case my return home is delayed. I also bring one (filled) weekly pill box

I’ve never been asked about meds when entering a country, but I prefer to have labels on the bags anyway- I don’t want to confuse myself!

Ah, the carefree days of travel as a young person when my only med was an OTC hay fever pill.

Immigration/Customs would not be concerned about small amounts of meds for personal use, except that there are some people who seem to be taking a pretty big pile of meds along with vitamins and supplements that would raise the eyebrows of officials in the event they looked.

I think you are fine with your plan, however, I would go to your pharmacy and either get printouts of your labels, or a report showing medication, dosage, frequency, etc. The concern is not really explaining to authorities what you are carrying, but needing to go to a Doctor in the event your meds get lost, stolen, you get stuck someplace longer than planned, any number of reasons.

If you take any Opiates, or other controlled meds, you definitely need to carry some evidence that they were prescribed to you.

Never had a problem. Take extras, and have a list of meds or photos of labels.

While it depends on the pharmacy, most give out paperwork that lists information about your mediction. I know Walgreen's paperwork includes a copy of the label put on the prescription bottle. (You have to look for it.) I just take that.

If your pharmacy doesn't do that, just ask them for an additional printout of the label.

And with isolation due to positive Covid testing, you might want to think about taking at least two weeks extra of your meds.

While I have never been asked, I could be so I'm ready.

Some countries are stricter than others. Japan, as an example, limits visitors to a one month supply of both prescription an non-prescription meds. If you want to take more, you need to get customs clearance ahead of time.

Often, the bottle one gets from the pharmacy is significantly larger than needed. You can go to the pharmacy and get some smaller containers and use these along with a copy of your Rx's. I've never asked the pharmacy to give me labeled smaller containers but it could be worth a try. All my meds are mail order with 90 day supply and the containers take up too much valuable packing space. But ziplocs and a printout would work well. I've never had any issues in many travels to Europe.

My trips are long, and I've always been a bit concerned about keeping pills--especially prescription medications--loose in plastic bags for months. Isn't it possible they would deteriorate?

I head out with my 6 lb. of pills (mostly vitamins and supplements) in whatever reused plastic bottles they will fit in, plus a one-week pill minder that I refill as I go. The prescription meds are tiny and fit (all mixed together) in one quite small bottle; that little bottle and the pill minder are in my purse when I'm in transit between stops. Everything else is in my tote bag on the plane/train/bus. It would be a hassle and costly to replace that stuff if my suitcase went astray.

As the trip goes on and the remaining stock of pills shrinks, I move the bulky pills to smaller bottles, combining them as necessary for storage efficiency. I celebrate every time I'm able to discard one of the large bottles.

Over the course of five recent lengthy trips to Europe, flying in and out of eight countries, I've never been asked about the pills; perhaps I've been lucky. I do carry copies of the Rx labels with me.

Our pharmacist can print a duplicate set of the current bottle labels. The labels are then trimmed and arranged to fit the size of our pill box. The labels are then assembled onto a piece of paper that is attached to the back side of the box with clear tape.
The process doesn’t take very long and you have ALL the needed info about the meds in the box.
The labels even include the shape and labeling details for identification.
For very long trips we carry any extra, unboxed meds in a large bottle that has a note referring to the sheet on the back of the pill box. This process has worked well for many years.

For our 2-ish week long trips, I use the small zip bags, too. I don't bother with labels. Sometimes I'll write the name of the med on the bag but usually I don't bother. Never had a question or second look.

We also use zip lock baggies. The pharmacist prints out extra labels and we put them on freezer zip locks. We also take the original data sheet that comes with the RX to show that it is for us. We've never had a problem in any of the countries to which we've traveled . There are some state laws that require prescription meds to be in original containers, but they are rarely enforced. I only remember reading about one case in the last 20 years. If you are taking high powered narcotic type meds, however, you might want to keep those in the original container. We also take extras in case something happens to the main supply.