medicine organizer
 

some travel sites sell medicine organizers that you put your medications in and it keeps it nicely organiced. This would be really handy expecially if you happen to be taking a number of medications. Those pharmacy bottles can take up a lot of room. However, all the packing books I've looked at say to take your medications in their pharmacy bottles. Mail order pharmacy bottles are a tad bulky. My insurance company charges me $20 each medication to get just 10 pills in a little bottle at the local pharmacy, which are still bulky when you put a number of them together. The little travel organizer seems so practical and convienent. Does anyone use these? Will I have any trouble going thru airport security or customs? I'm a nice little old grandmother and I'd hate being thrown in jail for drug trafficking, or missing my plane because some security guy thought I was packing in drugs even though each day would have exactly the same pills in the organizer and just enough for 10 days. What is other traveler's experience with this issue?

The advice you read in travel books or sometimes even here on Fodors that it's a good idea to use original bottles or carry a copy of your Rx is more of an old wives tale.

Airport security doesn't care what personal meds anyone brings through security.

Here are the US airport security requirements - http://www.tsa.gov/311/

You mention customs - from/to where are you traveling?

Standard advice here is pack in organizer if you wish - and I have never read anyone here saying it was a problem. If you want to be extra careful, bring a printout or list from your physician about what you are taking. I might bring any narcotics in original container. Want to be super protected - put pills in your carryon and carry a full backup set in your checked luggage - but Iwould not bother.

But think realistically - if you put 30 pills in an aspirin bottle, is TSA guy going to open it up to see the pills? Is the customs guy going to know what aspirin in its many generic forms looks like?

And just because you mentioned it - being or looking like a nice little old grandmother is not going to get you any special treatment with TSA. Enough stories here and from my 81 year old mother about security scrutiny - in my mother's case 15 minutes to get thru security at Miami, largely because she has 3 joint replacements.

One other thought - forget the travel sites. Go to your local pharmacy and buy a med organizer and save a lot of money on it.

or cheaper yet, buy some small snack sized zip lock bags and label them with a marker.

My pharmacy will give me one free (with an ad for themselves imprinted, of course) when I stock up.

I've never been questioned about every day meds, vitamins, or supplements, organized into a weekly container. I think maybe the advice about labeled prescriptions is for 'controlled substances' like if you have a narcotic pain reliever?

I have had no problems carrying a copy of each prescription (using the generic name; it would be handy if you lost your medications and had to buy refills in another country where the brand name might be different) with my pills in one of the snap open pill containers (I use one with 28 compartments, since we often travel for two or three weeks) you can get at any drugstore.

One suggestion. If the container you buy is easy enough to open that you can open it without tools, it is also prone to popping open in your luggage, leaving you with a pile of pills to sort. My wife solves this with rubber bands; I use a sheet of saran wrap and a rubber band. Both work.

After numerous trips overseas in the last few years (several at least 3 wks in length), I have never had anyone look at or ask about our medications -- and DH and I both take quite a few.

To save space, I buy the small 2 x 3" zipper bags (available at Michael's) and put each day's worth of pills in one bag and label them Mon-Sun. Then I put one week's worth of pills in a snack size ziploc bag.

I always have copies of the prescription labels with the medication.

Even the TSA's own website doesn't say they require original bottles. Nor copies of prescriptions, nor original labels.

There is a mention that original labels can be helpful - but organizers, plastic baggies, decorative pill boxes -- whatever you prefer are all fine.

(Having a copy of your prescription could be helpful if you lose your meds -- but its not needed for getting through airport screening)

Thanks, everyone. I feel so much more at ease. I don't use any 'controlled substances' or narcotic pain relievers. I love everyone's ideas. This can be so much simpler than I've been making it. I appreciate your help. Thank you.

I also use the tiny plastic bags from Hobby Lobby, the sort used for jewelry. I label each one for my own use and put the bags into my purse. Saves a ton of space and I've never had a problem, even while traveling in places like Singapore. For vitamins, I use those plastic pill containers labeled by day of the week - got them at Walmart for less than $2. For extended trips I carry two or three of them, they work like a charm.

I also use the small plastic bags and I peel the label from the prescrption bottle and attach it to the bag It actually peels off quite easily and sticks right onto the plastic bag.

Lots of great ideas. I feel much more confident now. Thank you.