PlayPlay

We like to take all our medicine and combine it into one pill bottle for easy carry. Is this a mistake if we happen to get seached at the airport? Do we need the individual prescription bottles to prove what we are taking/transporting? We will be flying into Italy, Spain and Belgium.

P_M

I have traveled to about 50 countries worldwide, and only one country has ever searched me. That was my own--the USA.

I think your odds of getting searched are very slim. But having said that, it's always better safe than sorry. Would if be a terrible inconvenience to bring the other bottles?

LoveItaly

Hi PlayPlay, this question comes up from time to time and there are always debates about it.

I agree with P-M comments. When people say they have never been searched and consequently put their meds in any kind of a container it makes me think of this. I have never had my residence burn down. But I still carry insurance. I have never caused an auto accident, but I still carry auto insurance.

My Dr. told me, and he travelled world wide btw, ALWAYS (as in NO exceptions) have your meds in the original pharmacy container. Again, no exceptions.

I would take the attitude that carrying your meds in the original pharmacy containers is a lot less hassle then if you don't and get searched.

aggiemom

I, too, have carried my several medications either in one large bottle or in a plastic daily medicine box without any hassles. Never even a question. I think as long as it looks like medicine for personal use it is usually not a problem.

jody

I too carry all our meds in 7 day containers.. Cripes it takes me 1/2 an hour a week just to fill the darn things up. We have never been stopped on any trip in 35 years at customs anywhere..just get in the green lane and get out! coming home everything is used up so what is the problem. I do bring meds back from UK and France..they have never been looked at either..put them in your purse . The only thing anyone has ever asked about is food products.

Just how many have ever been searched at an airport!

LoveItaly

Searched at airports?? Me!!!

Again, everyone has to make their own decisions. I just passed on what to me (per my Dr.) is the safe way to carry meds.

nytraveler

We just have one large bottle that we use for vitamins, tylenol, benadryl - any other OTCs - and have never had a problem. For an Rx med - esp one that is scheduled (and that varies by country) I would always leave it in the original bottle - although we have only done this once or twice.

No one has ever seemed interested in the large bottle (which is a big tylenol bottle.)

Randy

I just came back from Europe and while I was there I purchased my medications for the year. It was a $400 or $500 savings. The customs people did not look at anything, but at the airport in Paris on of the United people opened my suitcase and noticed them. I said it was my medication and that is all there was to it. I would like to know if someone knows if there are laws on this.

moldyhotelsaregross

Something you might consider if you have large bottles for prescription rx-

Go to the pharmacy and ask for the smallest container possible for the quantity of medication you need and have them put a new label on it.

Travelnut

We mix some vitamins, but otherwise, everything is separate. I thought it was unwise to mix medications and I don't want to pick up the wrong thing.

I've read that you shouldn't mix meds but they never say specifically why not.

jody

I guess if you don't recognize what you take every day, you shouldn't mix them..but I know what I take and what my DH takes..I am a pharmacist..so mixing them doesn;t confuse me and there is no physical reason not to.

sunny16

Hmm...I take an iron supplement every day. I get the pills over the counter. I was just going to bring the pills...I wonder if I should bring the box folded up as well, because they could really be anything. They come in little silver cards. There is a picture of the pill on the box.

Eleni

Don't know if it is legit, and I've never been checked, but for my own piece of mind this is what I do: I carefully peel off the labels of all the prescriptions I am going to bring with me. If I'm in a hurry, I put all the labels and all the pills together in either a large enough bottle or in a heavy-duty zip lock bag. If I'm not doing this as part of my last-minute packing, I put each prescription (pills and label) in a sandwich size ziplock bag, and then put all the individual ziplocks in quart-size ziplock. Either method takes up way less space than the bottles, and since I travel with prescriptions in my carry-on, space is at a premium.

DeeDee

Eleni,

That's a great way! I have been puzzling over how to pack light and carry meds. Our medical coverage requires us to buy RXs for a 90 day mail order supply - not a small bottle! It's fairly remote that the mail order pharmacy would label and send me small bottles for our trip.

I will follow your suggestion - make a great deal of sense to me! thanks