Packing meds

Depends on what schedule type the medicine is. I keep all prescription meds that fall within a scheduled drug category in the original prescription bottle, OTC medication I may use a baggie or a tiny medicine bottles.

You will get multiple answers to your question. They go from one side to the other. So I guess I will start. :-)

I have been to Europe over 50 times in the past 15 years. Not once have any drugs in my suitcase or any carry on been questioned or even looked at. I do keep everything in original pharmacy packages. I get the pharmacy to provide me with smaller bottles for those prescriptions that come in huge 90 day supply bottles labeled just like the large bottles so I can take just enough for the trip (plus a few days in case of delays). Works for me, and the smaller bottles save enough space so it is not a problem.

I also have never taken any narcotics or otherwise highly regulated drugs with me. No matter what you do with the others, if you have anything like this I would definitely keep those in the original package.

I take the prescription label off each original bottle, paste on a snack-size ziploc, and count out pills for # of trip days plus 10. Light, easy to carry, and all the information is there.
If anything is a scheduled drug ( i.e. prescription painkiller) it only travels in its original container.

I have my pharmacist print out labels for each med and then I put them on ziploc bags. The ones I take together, I put all in the same bag with all the labels attached. Otherwise, they are in separate bags.

This is a response I've given before:
I always take generics for : naproxen (Aleve), aspirin, Benadryl, omeprazole (Prilosec), cough gel caps (Nyquil/Dayquil), and Dramamine. Additionally, I take plenty of our prescription meds. I also have a small first aid ‘kit’ in a quart baggie with band aids of assorted sizes, gauze pads, adhesive tape, seri-strips, dental floss, alcohol wipes, hand wipes, and small packets of Neosporin and cortisone cream. I use the small Ziploc type bags (Rite aid carries them in their travel section) to hold each of the pills, then put them inside a larger baggie to organize (hubby’s prescriptions in one, mine in another, and otc’s in a third). Takes very little space.

TSA does NOT require that meds be in original bottle or label. Whether or not inspectors in other countries will worry about how you have your pills organized is always a question. Personally, I've never had a problem taking meds into other countries for my personal use (and we've had more than 40 international trips, and 100s of non-international)
It is the INFORMATION that is important- more in case you have a medical emergency, or need a refill (lost meds, trip extended...) You should have the brand name of the medication (Ambien, etc.) and the generic name, and if no generic, a "chemical" name as brand names are not always the same.
There are lots of ways to organize your meds. You can ask your pharmacist to print you an extra label (or use the one they give you that is with the 'side effects" printout) and put it on a small Ziploc bag, then put the medication in the bag. Alternatively, some pharmacies will prepare blister packs with all your meds grouped according to when you take them (example, day 1, am in one blister, day 1 lunch next, day 1 pm next, etc.)and put all labels on the top of the sheet. You could use a pill organizer and put the labels from the pharmacy on one sheet of paper with the organizer. Or use the tiny pill sip top bags you can get at most drug and grocery stores. You can put all of one type of pill in a bag, or organize your pills by day/time of dose, etc. and just carry the infor sheets (or take a photo on your phone). Your choice.

I carry an information sheet with the above info (one for me , one for hubby)and I also list my Dr's phone #s, pharmacy's #, and emergency contact info as well a list medical conditions, surgeries /dates. If you become ill while traveling, or need a refill because you lost meds, etc. it could be vital. Feel free to private message me if you want a sample copy of the info sheet. Also, note that liquid meds of more than 3 oz. should NOT be placed in your 3-1-1 bag, but should be in their own baggie, in original bottle. Also if you use a CPAP, nebulizer, etc., these devices must be declared and removed for separate screening. Most airlines don't count these in # of allowed carry-on.

I pour pills loose into zip lock baggies except for controlled substances which I keep in original bottles. No problems worldwide in over 30 years.

Ditto what Suki wrote. Small AM zip lock, small PM ziplock. Very compact, never had a problem anywhere.

My husband takes various meds and we take the original bottles. What's more important, your meds or the other stuff you pack?
We also photograph the labels with the camera we are taking on our trip. That way, should he lose the original bottle, it would be easier for a doctor in a foreign country to understand what my husband's meds were and to replace them.

Thanks, everyone! Great info. I didn’t know I could get the pharmacist to do new labels; that’s great. Baggies would take up much less space than med packs. And I’ll make sure to have good lists and copies. You are all fabulous!

I bring both, the prescribed meds in original containers and the weekly pill organizer. This time I packed meds for 41 days, two days were extra on a 39 day trip, never have been questioned about the meds.

Narcotics in original bottles, everything else in a travel pill box with compartments.

Be very careful with controlled substances aka Norco, narcotic based pain meds.
I like many here have NEVER had an issue in Europe but.... don’t listen to internet lawyers.
Be especially careful going to Asia or Middle Eastern countries.
Just because it is legal for you to possess xyz doesn’t give you the automatic right to take certain medications (valid prescription or not) into many countries.

Most of the world follows the guidelines of the INAB to make travel with medications possible ..but many countries do have their own requirements, if not outright bans as to certain medications/drugs.

INCB is the International Narcotics Control Board. Their web site can provide you with the answers you need.

Sid

There are some sinus/cold meds that are OTC in US and controlled elsewhere, so if these are going with you, research the main i gredient plus the country you are going to. Or, if thinking you will need these, it might be harder to get where you are visiting.
I do the ziplock bags, but as my only meds seem to be antimalarials, they are in a paper sleeve and blister packs, so I carry in original form.

To clarify my post above, Sudafed and any meds with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine are limited in sales overseas, so I would take them in their original packaging. Take out the paper insert and flatten the packaging to reduce bulk.

I wouldn't hesitate to carry non-narcotic prescription meds in little plastic bags for a short trip, but I'm not sure that's a great idea for longer trips. Much as I'd love to avoid the extra bulk and weight of plastic bottles, I don't even transfer my vitamins and supplements to plastic bags. I'm primarily worried about degradation due to humidity. It might be worth asking a pharmacist about this.

I seem to have plenty of those silica packs from vitamins and I add those to the zip lock bags.

In addition to putting an extra label on a freezer zip lock bag containing your pills, take a copy of the date sheet that comes with the Rx. Provides much more detail than the label in case there is ever a question about what the pills are.

Handy tip- I have a 7 day pill organizer, with compartments for morning and evening. Since I have twice gotten it upside down in the morning and taken the evening pills, I've used a Sharpie to make a thick black line on the evening side.

A cheap option - you can get a pack of 50 tiny ziplock bags for pills at Walgreen's for about $4 in the travel pill organizer section near the pharmacy counter. You can label with a sharpie's pen. Just bring instructions for med.s that you need. By all means - keep any controlled/narcotic substances in the original containers.

I, too, travel with a 7-day pill organizer. On hotel-change days it goes in my purse. I've had a compartment pop open, so I now stretch a heavy rubber band lengthwise around the container.