Medications, carry-on

This gets discussed endlessly but it always the same answer. The airline could care less about what you bring on the plane. TSA is going to fuss if liquid medication is more than 3 oz so might need documentation for that. On out bound flight I carry a quart size plastic bag that is fully of a single pill. No one has every looked twice at that bag. Second, the foreign immigration and customs will not be concerned. However, getting back into the US is harder than leaving and the US might ask why you have a big pile of pills but for me my returning supply is very small and again no question.

This is the answer I gave to a previous post: TSA does NOT require that medications be in original bottle or even have a label. That said, it is always advisable to have the correct info with your medications in case of illness, emergency, needing refills, etc. Ask your pharmacist to print you an extra label 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, then day 2...) and put all the labels on the top of the sheet. You could also use a pill organizer and put the labels from the pharmacy on one sheet of paper taped to the bottom of the organizer. Lots of ways to do it. I also carry an information sheet with all of my medications listed (both generic and name brand), the dose I take, when I take it and what condition it is for. I also list my Dr's phone #s, pharmacy's #, and emergency contact info as well a list major medical conditions (I have asthma, high blood pressure, PCOS, etc.) and surgeries /dates. This info sheet has come in handy when I had a severe asthma attack at work (the EMTs knew everything they needed even though I had trouble speaking). If you become ill while traveling, or need a refill because you lost meds, etc. this could be vital. EDIT: Feel free to private message me if you want a sample copy of the info sheet. Also, liquid meds of more than 3 oz should NOT be placed in your 3-1-1 bag, but should be in their own baggie. You must declare them to the TSA before screening. It is helpful for liquids to be in their original bottle. Also- if you use a CPAP, a nebulizer, etc, these devices must be declared and removed for separate screening. (Also- most airlines don't count these in # of allowed carry-on bags)

Toni....thank you for the information...we were planning on bringing a printout of all meds with us...the extra ideas about the small baggies are great! Regards, Sue

I pull off a label from the Rx bottle and put it in a baggie with the meds. It's for your safety that, in an emergency, others would know what meds you are on.

I was traveling to Germany then to other countries. So what I did is take enough of the medicine for the number of times I needed to take them and then an extra week's worth, just in case something unexpected happens. I also took a list of the medications. When I took them with me, I took them in the original bottles, this way the prescription is on the bottle and it tells the TSA or any one else what it is. However, this being said, they seem to be more particular coming back in the USA. This consisted of all tablets or capsules for blood pressure, simvastatin,vitamin d , prilosec, and baby aspirin. Of course, I did have a listing of the medications from the Doctor or Hospital just in case. This was all for the TSA, security or any other official that needed to know. Now, when I was in the country traveling, the medicines stayed at the hotel, or apt and then I only put the medicine I needed to take during the time I was out and about.