Prescription Medications

No problem with customs (cannot comment about TSA, that is a US organisation).
Customs are not stupid, people go through every day with all kinds of medicines, so long as it is not an illegal drug, you are OK.
Practically speaking, customs in European countries is a random check only, 95%+ of people do not get stopped, you just walk through.

Edit: how are you getting from Germany to Italy? by land (rail, road) or flying? Both are in the EU, which is a customs union, no customs between EU countries. If you travel via Switzerland there is technically customs, but they are only interested in commercial vehicles carrying goods, not private travellers.

You need to check online that your specific prescription drugs will be allowed into Germany. It’s always advisable to carry them in their original packaging. Chances are you won’t be stopped, but there are random checks undertaken.

It’s nothing to do with the TSA, but about what Germany will allow in.

It might be wise to take along a copy of your prescriptions in case the meds are misplaced or damaged. On my last trip, all my pills went into one container; also, I removed the labels from my two original prescription containers (using a hair dryer) and stuck them on a small piece of card stock, which went in my passport pouch. I also figured that would satisfy any customs official who had questions about my little travel pharmacy. But no one asked.

We are driving from a Germany to Switzerland then flying to Italy.

Thank you all for your help. My husband already packed all his meds up in his day by day container, and thought I was over stressing , like I tend to do, but I’m going to take a copy of the scripts.
Thank you all for your replies

I prefer keeping my drugs in their original containers because that is the law in some places. In over 60 trips to Europe no one has ever shown any interest in anything I have had in my suitcases on arrival there. Of course I have no narcotics or other types of drugs that would draw interest. It is the return where the US Immigration and Border Control officers can get a bit nosey.

TSA is only there to keep things off planes that could be dangerous to the flight. And they are only in the US airports so have absolutely zero impact on any connecting flight or your return flight starting in European airports. Most prescription drugs and over the counter stuff doesn't fall in a category of interest. The only time they might have any interest in what you are carrying is if you have narcotics or one of your drugs is liquid and in a larger container.

If you like, you can do a search on this website for LOTS of threads on this topics. You will get a large variety of methods. I put my medications in ziplocks and use the labels printed by my pharmacist. Many travel with the pill organizers and have no issues. If that is the way you use your medications, my opinion would be to put them in the ziplocks with labels or keep them in the original containers until you get to Europe and then sort them in Germany. I used to keep mine in the original containers, and that is obviously the most conservative method, but there is no standard "original container" For example, I actually just got a prescription that the pharmacist had placed in a ziplock with a label (because the med was in foil packs).

There are some meds like narcotics or sudafed or ADD meds that might warrant a bit more caution. I kept my daughter's ADD med in the original container and had a dr's note.

adding to everyone else, i would also bring more than is necessary for the length of your trip - if you're gone for 14 days, I'd bring probably 20 days worth because if you end up losing one down a sink or in a corner of a room, etc., you might have an issue.

I take only my prescription meds along, which are left in the original containers, much more convenient that way.

In 2017 I totally missed counted the number of pills of this particular med, brought only ca 50% of that pill needed for the 6 week trip. In Berlin I went to a pharmacy near the Pension. Luckily I had brought the original container along to show the pharmacist. She recognised the med's name automatically, told me it was prescription med, (yes, I know) and that she could not refill this prescription until I went to see a German doctor to secure a prescription.

That left me with the problem of getting to a German doctor. on a Saturday morning. There was a clinic (Klinik) about half a block down from the pharmacist, saw the doc on duty there as a walk-in.

The assistant wasn't interested in any US documentation, not my Kaiser card, etc, not even the passport, until I asked something about it and had it out already,

What the doc's assistant wanted and later likewise with the pharmacist when picking up the meds that had to be ordered was that I had to pay in cash, ie, no credit card accepted. No problem since I had the cash on me anyway. I got receipts from both places.

My first thought at this unpleasant surprise of the pill shortage was to go the pharmacy in Berlin Hbf (24/7) ...totally unnecessary since several pharmacies were within a block or two from the Pension in whichever direction.

blue,

"We are driving from a Germany to Switzerland then flying to Italy."

I assume you're aware of the need to buy a Highway Tax Vignette for driving in Switzerland and also Austria, if your route takes you through there. Hefty fines collected on the spot for those without the Vignette! Each driver will also require an International Driver's Permit for driving in Austria (also compulsory for Italy if you'll be driving through there). You may find this helpful - https://www.austria.org/driving-a-vehicle .

Regarding your medications, TSA indicated that you won't have a problem departing from the U.S. When you arrive in Germany, Customs will likely be a "walk through" as you won't have anything to declare. I doubt that you'll have any problems with European airport security, however that may depend on the officer that you're dealing with at the time. You didn't specify where you'd be flying from / to in Switzerland and Italy. If the distance is short enough, taking a train would avoid the airport security issues.

Some prescription med's from the U.S. may be illegal in some European countries so I'd probably do a bit of research on that if taking anything that contains narcotics or whatever.

Thank you all for your good advice. Actually a friend from Germany is driving us to Switzerland and we’re catching a flight to Sardinia.