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Help with medication information

My son takes Adderall and is leaving for a 31 day tour of Europe soon. We are very concerned that since Adderall is banned in many countries he will have problems at entry points-is taking the train starting in London going to Paris, Italy, Austria, Germany and finally Amsterdam. Has anyone had any experience with this and the same amount of time? He will have his doctors written letter of the prescription and only a 30 day prescription on him.

Posted by
464 posts

I have never been asked about medications when entering a country. No one has shown the least interest. I do keep them in my carry-on bag. Prescription meds stay in their original container and I have a copy of the prescription with me.

Your son might want to carry more than an exact (30-day) supply for a 30-day trip. What happens if he gets delayed for a few days? What if he has to stay a few extra days because he tests positive for Covid before his return to the US? What if he spills the bottle and loses a few (don’t laugh - this happened to me!) I always carry about a 7-10 day extra supply for these type of contingencies.

Posted by
2380 posts

In Europe, no one has ever looked at our prescriptions. He will have the doctor’s note as well. If he were going somewhere other than Europe, I would be more concerned. And the only time anyone looked at our meds was in the Middle East. I agree that he should bring more meds than he needs for 31 days in case he has to quarantine. We are taking a two month supply with us for our month long trip.

Posted by
1077 posts

Besides keeping the Adderall in it's original container, you should request a letter (on official letterhead) from your Doctor that states he is on Adderall for ADHD, and listing the dose. If he were stopped and asked about the medication the letter would be very helpful in supporting his statements. I have seen diabetics do this when they have to carry needles in their luggage.

Posted by
1473 posts

Actually, letters from doctors don't help. They are too easy to fake. Diabetics no longer need to take letters from their doctor.

All medications should have with them the pharmacy label. It is much harder to fake and it has all of the necessary information on it.
Doctor's name, instructions on how to take, date it was dispensed, etc. If you take the label off of the original container, you no longer need the original container.

Posted by
8094 posts

My wife's handbag has a number of medicines that are looked at much closer than Adderall.

She doesn't flaunt her medicines, and never mentions any prescriptions to anyone we come in contact with. And never has she been searched for medications.

Just have your son keep his mouth shut, and everything will be all right.

Posted by
7453 posts

"I have never had my bags searched, so it is ok to take in whatever legal and illegal things that you want."

Sorry, not helpful, and possibly dangerous advice.

You at the minimum need to have the medication in the original, or a similar container, with the pharmacy label on it. I would also have a separate document, basically the prescription info, provided by your pharmacy or doctor.

Further, take only what is needed for the trip, plus a safety buffer. For you, that is roughly 30 days plus, I suppose he probably can not get more than 30 days anyway, but if he for example gets 90 days worth, do not take the entire supply.

Yes, they rarely check. They also do not care about small amounts of medication for personal use. But, you need to be able to show that they are for personal use, are prescribed, and the amount is appropriate for the trip. Somebodies medication for "restless leg syndrome", minor heart conditions, or hair loss are not a problem, but for ADHD, Opioids, or Opiates. as well as pain medications are of high concern, and if checked will prompt a serious discussion.

Take the advice of the few helpful posts so far and take a look at the links. I doubt, if prepared, you will have any issues.

Posted by
32519 posts

there are only 11 previous discussions on the Forums about that particular medication, some from a few years ago, so we don't get the question all that often - but the discussion is usually quite similar. Just put adderall in the search box and you can read previous threads.

One of the threads even came up on you question a few years ago about your own medicines....