Taking prescription medications to Italy

You're going to get a lot of different answers on this.

I travel for months at a time and I must take my prescriptions with me. If I kept them in the original bottles, it would take up half my bag. I put them into individual ziploc bags and write on each what it is. I also have a copy of the label that comes on each prescription bottle.

None of my prescriptions are narcotic nor controlled substance. If they were, I'd keep those in the original bottles.

Customs is not looking to harrass someone taking prescription medication as long as you can prove they are for you (the prescription in your name) and you have an amount approximate to the length of your trip.

Make sure, however, that none of your prescriptions are banned in Italy. Some meds for ADD and anti-depressants are not allowed.

Lastly, chances are you won't even be stopped by customs but it's always best to be prepared.

I do what Frank does, but put the prescription label on each ziplock bag (I either peel the label off an old bottle or I ask my pharmacist to print a duplicate set of labels).

Buon viaggio!

Some good ideas here. I dump my meds in baggies too, also print out the Rx.

I have been advised that I must have my prescription medications in
labeled drug store original bottles.

I suspect that with some research, you will find that this is what Italian law requires. If you can not determine what Italian law requires, then if it were me, I would guess what you were advised is the law as it's the most conservative, safe, answer.

Now, the choice is simple. Obey the law or rationalize why the law does not apply yo you.

I take five different medications and always travel with them in the original bottle with the pharmacy label and doctor's name. My longest trips have been about two months, and it's never been a problem to fit them into my carry-on luggage. I've never had any issues with that approach in any country in Europe.

Take enough for your trip, not the whole bottle full, BUT…….add on about 5 extra days’ worth in case you get delayed while actually on your trip.
You don’t want to be without them.

Original containers are different around the world.

I've asked customs people why they ask for the original container. The answer has always been the same--they want to see the prescription label. They want to know it was prescribed to you, what the medication is, the name of the doctor and where you got it.

For a three month trip, my medications weigh about 2 lbs and would weigh more in their original containers. (I take a lot of horse sized pills.) My pharmacy labels also describe each pill by color and markings.

I'm not worried.

Is vyvanse allowed to be brought in to Italy

This link may help - https://www.incb.org/incb/en/travellers/index.html
Husband takes twelve medications per day. We carry at least 30 days of each pill with us in an appropriate sized bottle with the script on the bottle. All the bottles go in one packing cube to stay organized. Doesn't make sense to use baggies for so many pills. Always have enough room in our back pack. Keep in mind, Italy uses generic names for drugs. So, if you use brand name drugs, it is a good idea to have the generic name also. Your pharmacy can provide this.

Can you get your pharmacy to prepare pill packs or similar? I don't know how the packs are packaged together. https://www.pillpack.com

G3rryCee, thats brilliant.

I've asked customs people why they ask for the original container. The
answer has always been the same--they want to see the prescription
label. They want to know it was prescribed to you, what the medication
is, the name of the doctor and where you got it.

Frank II then that is going to be a problem for an awful lot of Europeans who travel. Because there is a very good chance that there will be no label on the packaging with any of the information you describe. I have had prescriptions filled in 3 countries in Europe (Austria, Hungary, Romania) and all 3 have been the same.

Generally the European country will require a letter from the doctor and the medication in the original packaging. To know what that means or why, you must have seen common European packaging and experienced prescription handling.

Okay I am generalizing. I suspect there are exceptions. But for Austria, Hungary and Romania at least .....

Most all medications come in blister packs. Not unsealed bottles with random pills in them. So the "original packaging" requirement is expecting to see sealed blister packs with the name of the medication written on them. This is a way of proving that the pills are what you say they are. So, positive identification of the drug.

But this doesn’t work with US packaging which is random pills in an unsealed bottle. Then you are going to take them out of the already compromised unsealed pill bottle and put them in baggies? Thats like two big leaps away from what appears to be the purpose and intent of the law: to know for certain the white pill is what you say it is because it’s in the blister pack that is labeled.

Then in some? many? all? European countries you dont actually go home from the pharmacy with anything that says the doctor prescribed the medication. There is no sticker on the box like on the US pill bottles, and prescriptions are kept by the pharmacy. Hence the requirement for the letter from the doctor. So, Positive proof that the now positively identified drug has been prescribed to you.

But I suspect the label on the US pill bottle does suffice as a letter from the doctor. At least it’s a fair argument of intent.