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traveling with injection pen medications

anyone have any trouble traveling with injection pen medications (ie: ozempic-type)? It will be in my carry-on. Traveling from Atlanta to Heathrow. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

Posted by
820 posts

Trouble, as in having it questioned at security? No, they are accustomed to seeing these now versus 5 to 10 years ago. I carry Ozempic in my carry-on - just call it insulin if asked.

I use a gel cooling wallet on trips to keep the pens cool, got it from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Insulin-Cooling-Reusable-Evaporative-Medication/dp/B00022628K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=27CP6VY23P68W&keywords=frio+insulin+cooling+case+for+travel&qid=1685407977&sprefix=frio%2Caps%2C235&sr=8-1)

Security is more interested in the cooling wallet than what is carried within it. I typically pull the pens out of the wallet and place them in the tray, separate from the wallet.

Posted by
3985 posts

I travel with Ozempic all the time in my purse. No problem at all. It can can last 56 days unrefrigerated.

Posted by
17635 posts

They treat them as liquids?

I have to carry quite a few glass med vials and pulling them out and stacking them up on a tray at security is a pain.

Posted by
925 posts

Heathrow can be really tricky with medications, far more so than other airports. Try to carry some documentation eg prescriptions or a doctor’s letter.

Friends carrying diabetic supplies for their children have had a pretty horrible time there with security taking a long time to check every item and even asking them to open sterile packets and confiscating sugary drinks.

Posted by
142 posts

Yes- I've traveled with Humira (a different injection pen or syringe) several times. Each time was between Jordan and the US or Jordan and Europe. I've made sure to have a note from my doctor and a copy of the prescription. Sometimes the paperwork is checked, sometimes it's not and I've never had an issue.

Posted by
358 posts

The only place to get 100% guaranteed information for bringing things into the UK is from the UK Government official site. they have a very extensive section on it

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/controlled-drugs-personal-licences#:~:text=In%20all%20cases%2C%20medicines%20must,show%20this%20at%20the%20border for arriving in the UK

https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/essential-medicines-and-medical-equipment#:~:text=Medicines%2C%20medical%20equipment%20and%20dietary%20requirements,-You're%20allowed&text=You'll%20need%20to%20carry,a%20container%20larger%20than%20100ml for when you leave

My personal experience in multiple countries, with mostly non controlled drugs but occasionally controlled ones, is that I have never been asked ever about my meds. I have always had them in original packaging and with a picture of my prescription on my phone as a back up, but never had to use that.

Posted by
820 posts

They treat them as liquids?

At least when flying within the US, they treat them as medicines. I have never had an issue when presenting any pen meds like Ozempic.

Mr E, you travel with vials and syringes, and I am guessing that gets more scrutiny than pre-filled injectable pens, but who really knows?

I also have never had any issues when arriving abroad, or when returning from abroad. I take a daily injection of one drug, and Ozempic is weekly. For the daily med, I take that day's injection before arriving at the airport. And I travel with only as much of this stuff as I need for the trip, if someone in security at Heathrow or any foreign airport gets snippy about my pens, I will tell them to toss them in the trash...but it has never happened. When I go through security abroad, I remove the pen meds from the cooling wallet and place both in a tray, announce to whoever is listening they are prescription meds, and nobody has ever said anything about it.

To the OP, just be prepared with a written prescription - maybe even a letter from your doctor, but I have never bothered with that - and follow the rules posted online. Frankly, these injectable pens are commonplace now. When I first started taking these kinds of meds in the mid 00's, I got more questions or looks from security, but again never had a problem.

Posted by
136 posts

We travelled from the US to Italy, the Netherlands and back to the US from England (Heathrow) with Ozempic last year. We had original packaging with prescription on it and a letter from the doctor. We had no issues at all in any airports, and did not need to pull the pens or paperwork out-just left everything in our carryons.

Posted by
4728 posts

Have traveled with an Epi-Pen for decades with paper work to show what it is, Rx information, and letter from doctor explaining need for it. Never had anyone bat an eye or question it at all. Just have your documentation in case somebody does ask, and you should be fine.

Posted by
101 posts

I traveled last month from the US through Keflavik and into Heathrow with an injection pen with no issues (and onto the Eurostar as well). I did pull it out with my liquids but no one asked about it.