Do Pills have to be in their original container??

[srqrobin]

I usually use those S-S pill holders. I was told all medications have to be in the original containers. Is this true. I have a LOT of meds I take daily from blood pressure to thyroid. And in big containers. Anyone know the true policy?? I'd hate to have my S-S pill container confiscated. LOL

[Sascol]

We always bring our pills in smaller organizing containers - never had an issue.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We've never had a problem using daily organizers. If you take any med that would be considered a controlled medication you might want to keep the original bottle or prescription info with you.

 

Mary Lou

[cruiseacecat]

Same here. Hubby takes a ton of meds. in daily organizers and has never yet had a problem.

[Lsimon]

Theory: Everything I've read says that when crossing boarders or subjecting yourself to governmental security inspections that you should have pills in original containers with labels.

 

Practice: Over many cruises, including a half dozen or so to Europe, I've always sorted my pills (several prescriptions plus lots of supplements) into daily portions ahead of time with no labeling nor prescription info from original containers. Sometimes I use the plastic 7 day containers and sometimes the mini plastic bags sold at the pharmacy for this purpose. I've never had any issues going through airport security with these in my carryon. I've also never had any issue with customs when crossing boarders either but on the other hand I've also never had a detailed inspection for any reason.

[Algebralovr]

If you are flying, you do want them in original containers. You also want them in original containers going through customs. Just in case.

 

Contact your pharmacy to ask for additional labels and small bottles for travel purposes.

 

I've also asked for a short term Rx from my Dr for times when the mail order pharmacy required by my insurance hasn't gotten me my meds in time. When that happens, I save the bottle and use it for travel purposes.

[WestLakeGirl]

Lets start with asking who told you this information?

 

It's not a cruise line policy.

 

When traveling internationally, some countries require original containers for certain meds.

 

But many pharmacists will tell you that it's always a good idea to use original containers and not to mix various meds in one container.

[lucinjo]

If you have any controlled substances (ie prescription painkillers, muscle relaxants) always keep those in the original containers. For other pills, I simply print out my Doctors listing of all the meds and note size and color. I am not worried so much about customs or security, but it is good to have should I lose my meds or need medical attention while on a trip.

[sassy12]

The above advice has always worked for us but be prepared to anything - and I mean anything.

 

Our friends were returning from Switzerland with all their meds - and they have a LOT - in their original containers along with the note from their doctor stating what meds they were prescribed. The lady at security removed the lids from every bottle, threw the lids in a trash can, and handed each uncapped bottle back to our friends. Needless to say they had a big mess sorting out all the meds when they returned home.

 

There had been no confrontations, animosity, or anything that would have caused this act of perceived revenge. Evidently the lady was having a bad day and took it out on our friends.

[Clydesmom7865]

I usually use those S-S pill holders. I was told all medications have to be in the original containers. Is this true. I have a LOT of meds I take daily from blood pressure to thyroid. And in big containers. Anyone know the true policy?? I'd hate to have my S-S pill container confiscated. LOL

 

By LAW they do have to be in the bottle the pharmacy used for dispensing.

 

However, that does not mean you have to bring the giant bottles. Your pharmacist will be MORE than willing to type up labels for smaller travel bottles so that you can take a small supply with you and not risk a problem. While it is not typical to have issues it does not mean you won't from a legal perspective. All it takes is one customs officer or police officer to find them and if the circumstances are that they cannot identify the meds you will be detained while it is sorted out and that may take DAYS. Due to the sheer number of generics even many pharmacists cannot immediately identify a pill when asked to without significant research.

 

ANY medication for pain should be in a legally dispensed container. Those will be the first ones targeted. Having multiple pills in an unmarked container simply increases the chances they question what they are.

 

A second reason to keep them in labeled containers is YOU. If something happens heaven forbid, the medical staff on the ship or in the hospital have immediate access to what you taking and in what dosage and quantities. Those unmarked pill containers while convenient make medical providers jobs VERY difficult playing "guess the pill" if the patient or a family member is not able to help. While some people keep a typed list you would be SHOCKED at how often that list is out of date an inaccurate or left behind in the other purse or wallet and neither the patient nor family can remember the accurate list.

 

While convenient and some people swear it is no big deal to me it is just not worth the risks to your health and liberty.

 

It's not a cruise line policy.

 

When traveling internationally, some countries require original containers for certain meds.

 

Cruise line policy is not the problem. While it may be law in some foreign countries it IS the law in the USA. It isn't worth the risk because if the cops have a reason to search while traveling to the cruise port and they cannot identify the medications you WILL be detained while they get it identified. Missing a cruise while you sit at a precinct in a jail cell would be a major bummer for the convenience of a pill caddie.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Clydesmom7865

[TeaBag]

I save the empty bottles of prescriptions that we take all the time. Then when we go on a cruise I count the required pills into each of these bottles which are already labelled correctly.

[PEIpair]

I save the empty bottles of prescriptions that we take all the time. Then when we go on a cruise I count the required pills into each of these bottles which are already labelled correctly.

 

And this is what I do too.....adding just a few extra day's worth of each, in case we are delayed getting home.

[InTheWASide]

I usually use those S-S pill holders. I was told all medications have to be in the original containers. Is this true. I have a LOT of meds I take daily from blood pressure to thyroid. And in big containers. Anyone know the true policy?? I'd hate to have my S-S pill container confiscated. LOL

 

I highly recommend it. We always did that for my mom who was on 8-10 different meds. Take double the supply you need in the original bottles and then we took the rest in those bottles, put them in baggies with a slip of paper identifying which one it was. Come home and dump the baggies back in the right bottles

[Gonzo70]

By LAW they do have to be in the bottle the pharmacy used for dispensing.

 

 

Which law is that? :confused:

[Vagabondage]

I have several chronic diseases and take 11 prescriptions daily plus several others on a PRN (as needed) basis which I feel the need to take along on trips of any length. As I get 3-month supplies from my insurer's online pharmacy, if I packed in their original large bottles it would take up a ridiculous amount of space. When we travel with just 21" carryons, as we did on the 2 week B2B we just returned from, I'd hardly have room for any clothes!

 

To save maximum space, I put each day's pills into small ziplock bags I buy cheaply on eBay. I also put a few of each of the extra PRN prescriptions in its own mini-ziplock and label it with indelible marker. I gather all those up and put them in a quart ziplock. They take very little room in the tote bag which I carry as my purse -- even less room than 2-8 of the small weekly compartmented pillboxes I use at home would. The longer the trip, the more advantageous this method is.

 

I also scan my online pharmacy's printout of all my prescription orders and upload the scan to my smartphone, Kindle and iPad in case someone questions me about it.

 

We travel quite a bit, domestically and internationally, and I have never been stopped and asked to show prescriptions or bottles anywhere, so I cannot say from experience that my space-saving method is foolproof. But I can't imagine that if I WERE questioned, the pharmacy printout wouldn't do the trick.

 

My 2c anyway. Good luck!

[We're The Groupnors]

From the TSA website:

 

"Passengers are allowed to bring medications in pill or other solid form through security screening checkpoints in unlimited amounts, as long as they are screened. TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply."

 

So, the TSA does not require original bottles, but the state you are traveling from or to in order to catch your cruise may. Better safe than sorry.

[celebritydave]

I have several chronic diseases and take 11 prescriptions daily plus several others on a PRN (as needed) basis which I feel the need to take along on trips of any length. As I get 3-month supplies from my insurer's online pharmacy, if I packed in their original large bottles it would take up a ridiculous amount of space. When we travel with just 21" carryons, as we did on the 2 week B2B we just returned from, I'd hardly have room for any clothes!

 

To save maximum space, I put each day's pills into small ziplock bags I buy cheaply on eBay. I also put a few of each of the extra PRN prescriptions in its own mini-ziplock and label it with indelible marker. I gather all those up and put them in a quart ziplock. They take very little room in the tote bag which I carry as my purse -- even less room than 2-8 of the small weekly compartmented pillboxes I use at home would. The longer the trip, the more advantageous this method is.

 

I also scan my online pharmacy's printout of all my prescription orders and upload the scan to my smartphone, Kindle and iPad in case someone questions me about it.

 

We travel quite a bit, domestically and internationally, and I have never been stopped and asked to show prescriptions or bottles anywhere, so I cannot say from experience that my space-saving method is foolproof. But I can't imagine that if I WERE questioned, the pharmacy printout wouldn't do the trick.

 

My 2c anyway. Good luck!

 

I do this too. We have been to Europe over 20 times, and have never had a problem. I think they are too busy looking for explosives rather than worry about a plastic bag with pills in it. It may be different if you were carrying hundreds of pills the same size.

 

Dave

[Clydesmom7865]

Which law is that? :confused:

 

Federal law regarding the dispensing of controlled substances known as the Controlled Substances Act. The Act signed into law in 1970 by President Nixon controls the manufacture, importation, possession, distribution, and use.

Under possession and distribution it is required that all scheduled medications be distributed in a container identifying the patient, pharmacy, physcian, drug, strength, quantity dispensed, and dosage i.e. 1 pill four times per day.

 

Anyone found to have an unidentified scheduled drug in their possession without the accompanying pharmacy information and the dispensed bottle can be charged with possession of a controlled substance.

 

Each prescription medication has a "schedule."

 

Schedule I

 

Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are:

 

heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote

 

Schedule II

 

Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, less abuse potential than Schedule I drugs, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous. Some examples of Schedule II drugs are:

 

cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (OxyContin), fentanyl, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ritalin

 

Schedule III

 

Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are:

 

Combination products with less than 15 milligrams of hydrocodone per dosage unit (Vicodin), Products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone

 

Schedule IV

 

Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples of Schedule IV drugs are:

 

Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien

 

Schedule V

 

Schedule V drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with lower potential for abuse than Schedule IV and consist of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotics. Schedule V drugs are generally used for antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic purposes. Some examples of Schedule V drugs are:

 

cough preparations with less than 200 milligrams of codeine or per 100 milliliters (Robitussin AC), Lomotil, Motofen, Lyrica, Parepectolin

 

While they are typically not interested in Grandma's insulin and blood pressure medication, when you start having 5 or more unidentified medications authorities start to get suspicious of not only what they all are but the potential for illegal distribution being possible. After all what a great way to transport narcotics for illegal sale by mixing them in with random pills in a caddie and hoping you slide on through.

 

Might not be a problem on an Alaskan cruise but head to the Caribbean or Europe where many controlled substances that are prescription here are for sale non-prescription there and you get people who innocently purchase a pain killer because of injury or illness and the get nailed upon return because they have no prescription. It isn't worth the risk.

[floridatravelersforlife]

I use those 7 day boxes also. With my smartphone, I snap a photo of each pill box with a sample of the pill in the foreground. Vitamins and homeopathic also. I do this for convenience. I don't use any controlled substances so I 'm not worried about violations.

[kitty9]

You could get stuck with an overzealous TSA agent, like I have, and both my parents have. Now, it's not their business to do a lot of things, but they do anyway. My dad USED to carry meds in the days of the week container until a nasty TSA agent took it upon himself to take dad to the private screening area and touch (he said examine) each pill. I saw an elderly lady have her meds dumped onto one of those dirty tables at the airport and the agent mess with the pills. Heck, my mom was traveling to Vegas and had a bit of cash in her wallet, and when going through her purse, the agent had the balls to ask her what business was it of hers to carry so much money.

 

Just be aware, if you get a cranky agent or even a Customs person, if you don't have your scripts in their original containers, you could have a problem.

[Clydesmom7865]

I use those 7 day boxes also. With my smartphone, I snap a photo of each pill box with a sample of the pill in the foreground. Vitamins and homeopathic also. I do this for convenience.

 

Keep in mind that the authorities are not required to take your word for it that the photo is accurate or believe you.

 

I don't use any controlled substances so I 'm not worried about violations.

 

THIS is the most common misbelief. While the schedules I quoted mention the commonly used narcotics or amphetamines, if the drug requires a prescription it is a controlled substance and subject to the act. If you are found in possession of a pill they cannot identify by the dispensing bottle in your possession (a photo won't do it due to high quality photo shopping abilities) then you can be charged.

 

Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it WON'T!

[Gonzo70]

THIS is the most common misbelief. While the schedules I quoted mention the commonly used narcotics or amphetamines, if the drug requires a prescription it is a controlled substance and subject to the act. If you are found in possession of a pill they cannot identify by the dispensing bottle in your possession (a photo won't do it due to high quality photo shopping abilities) then you can be charged.

 

 

I do not believe you are correct. Most prescription medications are not considered controlled substances. While IMHO it is wise to travel with medications in the labelled bottles they were dispensed in (even if inconvenient) in most cases it is not illegal to travel with in pill boxes, baggies etc. While the vast majority of the time one will not incur problems when traveling with medication not in it's labelled container, there is a very small (but real) risk of being hassled.

[Grumpy100]

I just put all my pills in the same container. Thyroid pill, xanex (1/2 for each night), vitamins, vitamin D and anything else I take....never had a problem....

[Gonzo70]

I just put all my pills in the same container. Thyroid pill, xanex (1/2 for each night), vitamins, vitamin D and anything else I take....never had a problem....

 

FYI Xanax IS a controlled substance; that you do need to keep in it's original container or you could be in trouble. Even if you have not had a problem on 100 trips you are putting yourself at risk for incurring a problem on future trips.

[Clydesmom7865]

I do not believe you are correct. Most prescription medications are not considered controlled substances. While IMHO it is wise to travel with medications in the labelled bottles they were dispensed in (even if inconvenient) in most cases it is not illegal to travel with in pill boxes, baggies etc. While the vast majority of the time one will not incur problems when traveling with medication not in it's labelled container, there is a very small (but real) risk of being hassled.

 

In addition to the Controlled Substances Act the DEA also requires that ALL prescription medications be dispensed in the exact same way as described in the CSA. There is overlap between both laws. "Controlled" does not have to automatically mean narcotic or amphetamine. Under DEA law "controlled" means the drug is controlled by prescribing and dispensing law as well.

 

None of which changes the fact that if you are stopped and searched for even the most innocent of reasons and are found to have unidentifiable pills in your possession you can very easily find yourself in handcuffs followed by a holding cell charged with possession of a controlled substance. Not the way anyone wants to start or end a vacation.

 

Here is one quote from a legal website from someone with criminal charges based on legally available prescription medication even when labeled:

 

" because they searched my vehicle and found capsules which are a sched 4 med. I had no idea because they hand them out as free samples at the doctors office with out a perscription"

 

I have several friends who are cops and they said you would be amazed at the number of times they search someone to find random pills in their possession. That includes those with pill caddies that are acting odd or under the influence.

 

This subject comes up on the boards several times per year and regardless of the risk there are those that will continue to use those convenience boxes. What it doesn't do is answer the question about whether it is legal which under the CSA and DEA laws it is NOT.