Do we have to have or prescription bottles?

[California Native]

This is the only person that posts that TSA cares about drugs.

 

If you have lots of pills in the hundreds then you could be stopped at customs in foreign countries. Especially Asia. What they look for are pills that are in vitamin bottles or other over the counter bottles since most drug smuggles use these to put illegal pills in. A large quanity of pills will trigger an investigation.

 

The TSA has no authority on drugs and has been pointed out there WEB site does not require them to be in original bottles.

 

As far as carrying prescriptions: if you will need to refill and are afraid of losing your meds and need to refill then carry original prescription with you. Be aware that these will not help much to prove that the meds are yours when going through customs. After all, most are not readable and how does customs know they are not fake?

 

Don't carry a lot pills.. This is what customs looks for and then could delay you.

 

I personally have never seen TSA question meds. For thirty years I have carried only the weekly boxes (3 each for myself and 3 for wife and never get stopped).

 

My wife takes a drug that requires it be keep cool. So it is packed in a insulated little box with the frozen gel (over 3 oz) and TSA has never even looked in the box until this Feb when coming back from Cancun and a Mexican inspector asked to look and he still let us go after a peek inside.

 

So, there is one poster that had some problems and thinks that TSA agents are stupid and not informed and does not care what TSA posts on there WEB site, but the poster nor anyone else can tell you of anyone stopped by TSA for pills in weekly boxes. They had a TSA agent told them it in nice that you have your pills in bottles.

 

Bottom line is that if you are taking a cruise from USA port no one will care if you have a one or two weeks supply of meds in the weekly boxes.

 

If you are the paranoid type then listen to where2next and have all pills in original bottles and carry the original scripts from you doctor and also a list of meds with your doctors name and contact phone number notarized.

 

 

I should point out that every time I post my information DonRay pops up and calls me the paranoid type

To me he is an individual that clearly assumes, if it hasn;t

happened to him, than others don't know what their talking about

I have put in red a few of his key statements

He assumes that everyone reading this is ONLY traveling from and returning to a USA port.

My travels rarely put me in the scenario.

Donray then wisely says don't carry a lot of pills or that will trigger an investigation

Well, I wish I didn't have to carry a lot of pills and I'm sure there's MANY of you that wish the same thing regarding whatever health issue you are dealing with.

I'm in chronic pain 24/7 at a level 8

For me to function I carry narcotics

I usually travel for 3 weeks OUT OF THE USA throughout MULTIPLE foreign countries either as part of land trip or land/cruise combination. That is A LOT of security check points. You can go to my website and see where we travel

and read that I have had problems in Paris and Frankfurt

to name a few. These are major hubs that cruise

passengers flying to Europe will go through

I never said a TSA agent was stupid, those are Donray's words, what I said was they if they want clarification (which has happened to me)

it could slow you down getting to the gate to catch your flight

and if you are in a FOREIGN COUNTRY you could be delayed tremendously.

by their security teams entering or exiting the specific country

.

I have no reason to lie or embellish and waste my precious time helping all of you, who are complete strangers to me.

[navybankerteacher]

DonRay may have been consistently lucky, but his advice seems to be based upon personal experience and certainly not on fact. The Dept. of Homeland Security/ Customs and Border Protection makes it clear on their official site that ANY controlled substance must be carried in its original container - including identification of substance, prescribing physician, etc., and should not be in greater quantity than needed for duration of trip. Unless you KNOW that any foreign jusisdiction you will enter has easier rules, you are simply playing the fool if you try to make up your own rules.

 

Check the site.

[SuitCaseBears]

I've traveled a lot more by plane than ship, and I've gone to lots of other countries and come back to the US. I've never brought all of my pill bottles. I have some in an organizer and some in my little carry on emergency tic tac box.

 

I've never been stopped, but I do bring a print out of my medications. My HMO has an online system where I can just go in and with a few clicks I have a printable list of both my and my husband's meds, with instructions and what they are used for, with the HMO's information right on the list.

 

I take it more if we lose our things, and I have only 3-4 days of prescriptions in my little carry on emergency kit, we can get refills.

[uppitycats]

I have a chronic health condition and carry a number of meds -- in their original bottles (where possible), with prescription labels firmly attached. I also carry needles and meds that are self-injected -- in their original packaging. I carry all the meds in a zip lock (in this case, gallon sized) bag. I pull it out of my carry-on, and show it to anyone who is..or appears to be..an authority. In addition, I carry a copy of all the prescriptions.

 

Why? The first time I travelled after 9/11 I didnt do this. I got as far as the airport..and was turned away, missing my vacation (and no, I didn't have trip insurance. Probably wouldn't have covered this anyway.) The agent (I don't know if it was TSA, Homeland Security, Airport Security, whoever...doesn't matter) inspected each pill, questioned me thoroughly, when I couldn't prove they were MINE and PRESCRIBED...I was denied passage through security.

 

Each time after that I carry everything as described in the first paragraph, above. Generally I'm just waved through. But I have been detained, twice. Once, simply pulling out my copy of the prescriptions, and the agent taking time to compare my list with what was in my bag, I was waved on through. Another time, the agent was particularly interested in every pill and every bottle of the injectable medicine (no, not insulin). He asked a ton of questions about them. Opened every bottle. Shook out the contents. Examined every pill. Sniffed them. I nearly missed my plane.

 

Now I package them as described. The one med I get in a huge bottle..so I go to my local pharmacy, tell them how many pills I need to take with me (enough for the duration of the vacation plus a few extra). They package them up in a small prescription bottle, print out the prescription with the appropriate doseage and number of pills, and I'm good to go.

 

I know what the rules say. I know what is supposed to happen. I know what my legal rights are. But I want to get on with my vacation. Packaging them in their original containers takes no extra time (I don't put them in anything else, even at h ome), getting a copy of the prescription requires a phone call and a visit to the pharmacy to get the others packaged in a small container,

 

but then, if I AM stopped...it's quicker, easier, less stressful. Maybe I'll never be stopped again. But if I am, whatever their reason, they're in charge, not me, and I'll do whatever keeps them happy.

[Zambini]

DonRay may have been consistently lucky, but his advice seems to be based upon personal experience and certainly not on fact. The Dept. of Homeland Security/ Customs and Border Protection makes it clear on their official site that ANY controlled substance must be carried in its original container - including identification of substance, prescribing physician, etc., and should not be in greater quantity than needed for duration of trip. Unless you KNOW that any foreign jusisdiction you will enter has easier rules, you are simply playing the fool if you try to make up your own rules.

 

Check the site.

 

Normally, what they mean by Controlled Substance is what is listed on the Controlled Substances Act, as enforced by the DEA.

 

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/index.html

 

Most prescription meds ARE NOT on the list.

 

I am prescribed one on the list, that I cannot legally take to the UK. I always make sure it is in the original container, ALWAYS, at home, in the car, at work, traveling etc.

[PennyAgain]

Most people reading and posting on this thread have their minds made up and aren't going to change their behavior.

 

My late Mother-in-Law had an entire set of 7 day pill containers seized by customs when returning to the US. She was absolutely furious and had a fit which didn't help the situation at all. She never left the US after that experience.

 

For about the 12 hour amount of time it took her to finally get to her home, she had no medications at all. She past 85 at that time.

[STARFISH*4]

i travel with my bottles--only 3 so not a big deal;-they are in a ziplock and i do most of the time put them in the bin so they are out in plain view -- i just feel better that they are in their original containers and that i have EXTRAs...EVERYONE has to do what they FEEL is BEST and WORKs for them!

[beachchick]

This is the only person that posts that TSA cares about drugs.

<snip>

 

Don't carry a lot pills.. This is what customs looks for and then could delay you.

 

I personally have never seen TSA question meds. For thirty years I have carried only the weekly boxes (3 each for myself and 3 for wife and never get stopped).

 

My wife takes a drug that requires it be keep cool. So it is packed in a insulated little box with the frozen gel (over 3 oz) and TSA has never even looked in the box until this Feb when coming back from Cancun and a Mexican inspector asked to look and he still let us go after a peek inside.

 

So, there is one poster that had some problems and thinks that TSA agents are stupid and not informed and does not care what TSA posts on there WEB site, but the poster nor anyone else can tell you of anyone stopped by TSA for pills in weekly boxes. They had a TSA agent told them it in nice that you have your pills in bottles.

 

Bottom line is that if you are taking a cruise from USA port no one will care if you have a one or two weeks supply of meds in the weekly boxes.

 

If you are the paranoid type then listen to where2next and have all pills in original bottles and carry the original scripts from you doctor and also a list of meds with your doctors name and contact phone number notarized.

 

You do realize that where2next is not just posting about the TSA, right? The TSA's directives are applicable for the TSA only, not other agencies and not other countries. Do you really not see that?

 

In any case, here's another "paranoid" type. Three actually. My husband and I carry all our prescription meds in their original bottles, as does my mother. We do this because the TSA is only one of many agencies that check our items. We have been questioned, though never taken into a separate room or physically checked (don't want to tempt fate, so "knock wood"). My mother has too.

 

The "bottom line" is that you do not know who will care about passengers taking medications on cruise departing/arriving in a US port (or anywhere else). You do not make the decisions at the ports, airports, or other places because you aren't the agent on duty, are you? You make assumptions about everyone based on your single experiences. Are you going to reimburse members here who've taken your advice, but who are singled out for screening/searching and then who have problems with their cruise because of it? (Well, no I actually don't think you should be responsible for that because even though you are giving out terrible and irresponsible advice, each person should take responsibility for his/her own decisions.)

 

Seriously, good for you that you've never been questioned or searched or denied entry/boarding. That's lucky. But many people have been happy/relieved that they took their prescription meds in the original bottles, as well as bringing medication lists signed by their doctors, and any other documentation that will expedite the process, if necessary.

 

Anyone with any sense will listen to where2next's first-hand experiences, as well as ours, my mother's, and other members here because where2next is absolutely not the only member who has ever posted or the only member who cares about this.

 

 

An extra note (maybe helpful, maybe not) for anyone who has 90-day or longer mail-in prescriptions: We know what a PITA some of those large bottles can be. We don't have the pleasure of traveling 90 days at a time, so we generally only need to carry a 20 to 30 day supply. So...When we know we'll want smaller bottles, we call the mail-in pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to pack specific prescriptions (the ones that are the big, bulky pills that arrive in the huge bottles) into three or four smaller bottles. We have only been denied once. That time I called our doctor and asked him to call in a 30-day supply locally so that we'd have a small bottle available. It cost a bit more with the co-pay, but was worth it to have the convenience.

 

We look fondly back on the days when we could travel light and didn't have all these darn medications. But at least we can still travel sometimes, so we try not to complain (too much) about the hassle of bringing everything we need to do it.

 

beachchick

 

p.s. to where2next: I just want to send my sympathy to you. My DH and I both have significant pain issues. His are much worse than mine. It's so hard sometimes to go day after day and not just want to "give up the fight" (as it were). We really do understand.

[Krazy Kruizers]

If you are driving to the port -- no problems.

 

But if you are flying -- keep the prescriptions in their original bottles. TSA has checked our medications a few times.

 

We take only what we need plus a about 4 or 5 extra days supply. We have our drug store prep smaller bottles just for our cruises.

[CaptData]

I even have needles for on board the aircraft and have only been questioned once by a new agent. The person watching told her that it was for diabetics so it was allowed. She told her that she would see many with needles like mine.

[sail7seas]

We, unfortunatley, have to travel with a number of Rx. We always keep them in the pharmacy packaging, carry the pharmacy printouts of each medication which contains a description (photo) of the tablet/capsule. I keep my meds in a ziploc in my carryon and DH carries his Rx in his carryon.

 

Just this last year on one of our flights to a cruise, the TSA Agent was looking in my carryon for my jewelry pouch as it showed on x-ray and found the zip loc with the pill bottles. She picked it up and said to me: "Good thing you have these in the pharmacy bottles" . I can't risk having my medications confiscated. They are critical to my health and well being or the doctor would not have prescribed them.

 

Why take the chance?

If you absolutely must have your meds, make sure you give no reason why they might possibly be confiscated.

 

[California Native]

I just wanted to thank all of you for taking the time

to share your experiences and taking a stance to let others know that Donray's comments about me were not accurate.

Zambini..gave a great link and I think I will add that to our website when I do another round of updates

Another tip...each time we plan a trip I contact the Embassy of each country to confirm that I can bring medicine into the country.

As mentioned in other thread links...

if you enter Dubai or Singapore with narcotics on or IN your body you can be arrested if caught. This includes narcotics prescribed by your doctor...

Dubai is becoming quite the new "hot spot" on cruise itineraries so that's important to note.

So, if I took my meds while onboard the ship and still entered Dubai if caught with them in my bloodstream I;m going to jail.

Here's just one story but there have been many others

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/4536797.stm

Beachchick...thanks for your kind words and I wish we weren't in the "club" together....

The biggest problem I have is remembering to pace myself.....I tend to push myself waayyy too long or too far...because I'm frustrated how much control this disease has over my life...