Prescription drugs

No one has ever looked at any of my vitamins/decongestants/medications. Security is looking for weapons and such. They don't ask about a small container of pills.

I take no labels, no drug store jugs. All meds are in week-at-a-time pill containers. Nobody has ever said squat.

Controlled substances, pain killers, etc should always be traveled in their original containers.

Other than that, you should be ok.

Hi Sandy,

We've traveled to Europe many times, as recently as this past Sept. (NJ to Munich). We take meds with us also. We do bring them in the prescription bottles, but no one has ever looked at them on any of our trips.

Paul

Agreed with all. You probably won't be asked, but just to be cautious, keep all controlled substances in their original containers.

Also... take a copy of your prescription with you for anything that you cannot live without!! (...literally...) My wife lost her Thyroid medication on a trip to Italy, and we were able to have a partial scrip filled in Florence.

[...okay... she would live without Thyroid pills for a couple of weeks... but, oh, the mood she would have been in...]

As a pharmacist, I recommend keeping your medications in their ORIGINAL LABELED CONTAINERS while traveling. Although you will probably not get any flack from security or customs officials using a weekly pill-minder, you still have to consider what would happen if you had to be hospitalized while away and were incapacitated to the extent that you could not communicate to the doctors what medications you are taking. This could seriously affect the way that you receive treatment. For instance, if you had an accident and were bleeding profusely but were also taking a blood thinner, and if your treating physician was not made aware of this, then you could potentially bleed to death unnecessarily.

I took 8 weeks of my prescription drugs in small snack size zip lock bags. Inside each was was the name,use and strength. I also had the written sheet on each drug from the pharmacist in another plastic bag. None of my drugs were for serious issues.

I have also carried them the same way on numerous other flights with no problems.

I think I can do Scott one better and still avoid the big three month containers. I only take two medications so it is easy to do. I have the drug store print an extra label that I carry with my medical insurance cards and ids. Because, if an medical emergency would occur, it mostly likely would be away from the hotel and the pill bottles. Labels there would be of little value if I am laying on a sidewalk somewhere.

Second, I think this is mostly a non issue raised by people who want to worry about every conceivable problem. It is FAR easier to leave the US than it is to return. Since we often travel for multi-weeks the zip lock bag of pills is fairly large. It is buried in the carryon. I don't even pull it out for TSA. Outbound no one has ever raised a question and European entry points seem to be very un-concerned about everything. However, on returning US customs seem much more concerned about everything but by that time my pills are down to a hand full so again it does not draw any special attention.

Thanks for all the information--I think I will go half/half. Not so important prescription meds in bags. I did contact the TSA and they were pretty vague but indicated that the original packaging is recommended but not a requirement. Thanks again.