Traveling with Medicine
 

I am going to Bangkok on Monday. I have several prescription medicines I must take any problem with clearing airports with these. I know to leave them in the original bottles. Do I have to fill out custom forms while in tranist at Seoul or TPE. Thanks for any input.

If you're just transiting - i.e. not going into Taiwan or S. Korea - then you don't have any customs form to fill or declare. Only security checks at those airports.

Do I really need to take the medicine in the original prescription bottle? I order mine every three months; one of my prescription bottles is as big as a quart bottle of milk!

Ed

You could try making a photocopy of the prescription bottle's label, rolling it across the copier screen. Alternatively, beg your pharmacist to give you one smaller bottle for each prescription or a copy of the actual prescription.

We will be going to Europe in May and My hubby has diabetes. He is on tablets and Insulin with syringes and needles. I was wondering how we would manage those, as it's the first time we have travelled since his diagnosis. Thanks in advance.

tsa.gov gives info for US security/carriers - could only guess that it would be similar in other countries.

jo56 - type insulin into search box and they give concise instructions about insulin and syringes, as well as diabetic testing supplies, lancets, etc.

In case you don't know, insulin does not need to be refrigerated for normal storage. You may encounter lots of longer-time diabetics who think it must be, because that was the instructions they were given years ago. (It is still refrigerated in some pharmacies, etc for long-term storage, but that is different). For verification of this, you might want to ask your pharmacist - I am an RN, but I would not trust a stranger on the internet with something as important as this.

Have a good trip - your husband may find that while traveling his blood sugars are a little screwy - you will likely be eating at different times, may be getting far more (or less) exercise, and stress and even jet lag or different sleep schedules can alter blood sugars. He may want to test his blood sugars a little more often - and make sure he has some food with him in case all that walking causes them to get a little low.

To OP - can you peel off the label, photocopy it? I just did that before I mailed our son some medications.

My husband has a scary allergy (nuts) for which he must carry an Epi-Pen to treat anaphylactic shock. It's an auto-injector needle contraption.

For what it's worth, he's traveled all over Europe, a lot of the U.S. and even through Turkey and into and out of Afghanistan with it in his carry-on with nary a cross look.

I'd guess diabetes supplies are more common and so even less likely to create questions.

Really, though, make sure you take your prescription or the original bottle. (If your bottles are really huge, shove a pair of socks or something in there to use the excess space). :-)

gpg-

First, they will never look at or question your medicines, if you are only carrying a reasonable amount. They have more important concerns than a few pills.

Second, there is no law that pills have to be carried in bottles. You can carry them in small pill envelopes that your pharmacist can supply, or that you can buy, along with the original label or a copy.

I get my meds at Eckert, and there are always duplicates of the original label that I can apply to small envelopes when I travel. ((#))

I don't know about federal law but there are several states where it is a felony to carry prescription medicines in other than their issued containers. The previous suggestions about having your drug store provide them in smaller containers or give you small envelopes, also containing the Rx label are good ones. The druggist will know what information must be on the label to meet legal requirements.

Even though you are not likely to be charged with a crime if you did as long as the prescriptions are not drugs-of-abuse, you might be put to considerable inconvenience. Most street level law enforcement officers are not trained to be able to look at a pill and determine exactly what it is. If they find you with such pills in non-prescription containers, it is quite possible you would be arrested and transported so that the officer could get a PDR to look up the pills in question. If your prescriptions do include drugs-of-abuse such as pain relievers, uppers, downers, opiates, etc, you could very well be charged with a serious crime. At the very least, it would be time consuming and stressful to resolve the issue and could be much worse.

Hi dwoodon, I am glad to see your post here as know you have a law enforcement background. At one time in my life I did have to travel with prescription pain pills. My Physician, who was a world traveller, always told me to be sure to keep the prescription in the original bottle that had the prescription label attached with all the pertinent information. I did that.

I have answered people's questions regarding this but usually the response is "oh that is not necessary". Well guess I am a cautious type but to me just keeping medications in the original bottle ( legally acceptable envelope with the prescription label) is so simple, sure beats having a legal problem, especially while travelling.

I know you can get pill holders/daily dispensers in any drugstore, but to use them is against federal law(and most states). By law the meds must be in their original container as dispensed. Technically, it is against the law to even possess a container (including the ones you buy in the store) for the purpose of using it to carry meds or other drugs, even if it is empty.

That said, neither the feds or states enforce it if you are carrying a copy of prescriptions or other proof that you are taking this kind of med. It is mainly on the books to put away the drug traffickers and users of illegally obtained drugs.
((D))8-)

" By law the meds must be in their original container as dispensed."

My pharmacist says that if I want my meds dispensed in a pill envelope, he would be glad to do it.

I think that some are making a "federal case" out of this. ;;)

jamalty - could you please tell me from where you got that information. I think it may be that may apply only to someone other than consumer of medication.

Jed, that is correct. The envelope would be the original container as dispensed.

gail, I don't remember anymore where I got it. I think it might have been "The Arizona Republic".

Anyway, I posted it only as nice to know info. As I said, the law is put to use ONLY in cases of trafficking, etc. That is why they have it on the books.
((D))8-)

I routinely travel with an OTC pill bottle (Aleve, which is the American brand of naproxen pain reliever), filled with about 15 different kinds of pills (over the counter medicine only, no codeine stuff). Now that I am getting ready for a 12 month trip, I am using pill envelopes but they are not labeled (unless I decide to write something on there). I'm just going to risk it because the idea of carrying so many different bottles in my carry-on is completely ridiculous. I use a lot of painkillers because I lead groups of high school students abroad and headaches and muscle aches are a fact of life for me. I also have the necessary travel stuff like Dramamine, Benadryl, stomach remedies, etc. None of this stuff is serious medication for an actual medical condition.

They always say to carry your medicine in your carry-on and I agree with that. But it simply doesn't make sense to use the original packaging (my original aspirin bottle holds 1000 pills, for example, and is not "portable"). Anyone ever have a negative experience with officials from mixing a bunch of OTC pills together in a single bottle for travel?

By the way, yes, I know what all of them are, so don't worry, I'm not confusing anything!

There's a bit of a difference between OTC and prescription meds. OTC stuff - I don't worry about. Admittedly most of this is in blister packs so readily identifable anyway.

I do carry prescription meds with me. These I make sure are in the packaging from the pharmacist which clearly have my name, the dosage etc on the label. I also carry a copy a letter from my doctor stating the prescription meds that I am carrying.

As a Type 2 diabetic, I have traveled the last 12 years with my glucometer, spring-load pen and lancets. I always carry a Dr's note and place this, along with all my 9 medicine bottles, in my carry-on. Not once have I been questioned by security...and I've travelled to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Never...nothing.

Frankly, I grew tired of schlepping all 9 medicine bottles...and some of them are quite large containing a 90 day supply. When I was away over New Years, I decided to just take my Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc daily pill holder. Flew to the West Coast and once again, no questions.

I believe the Security people have more important things to look for then Lipitor and Coumadin and Premarin.