Medications and Vitamins

[easyboy]

I take 28 pills a day so I use four of the 7 day containers for them that are marked breakfast, noon, dinner, and bed for each week. I take a list of all prescriptions. There is no way I can take the original bottles for seventeen kinds of pills without adding another suitcase. As it is I often have a suitcase for other medical supplies. I am taking 20 of the 7 day containers loaded up for a 33 day trip in Sept/Oct. Perhaps I have just been lucky, but my pills have never been questioned. Blood clots and cancer are not going to slow me down.

I admire your positive outlook. Feel better!

[hel0013]

US border where? Coming from where, via what means?

 

Sweetgrass Montana coming from Canada to the US via my vehicle.

 

Got the lecture about medication being in their original container as they checked their books of photos!

 

Nothing in the link Astro Flyer posted says this doesn't apply to persons who go through Customs via planes, trains or ships either.

 

Before that day I never gave it a thought... I had my own meds at the time but it was I threw the prescription bottle into my bag. Daughter's friend had her allergy meds in a zip lock bag. (I don't recall if they were OTC or prescription)

 

I understand they were only doing their job.... Who knows what those pills were in the plastic bag right? They finally identified them with an exact picture of the pills in their books.

Edited August 6, 2016 by hel0013

[AdoraBelle]

Sorry, but yeah, had a feeling this would be US border *in a car* and Canada or Mexico.

 

I'll continue to take my chances, and I promise if I ever get pulled aside for my pill box or vitamin wallet, I will be the first to post a thread about it on CC.

[crochetcruise]

I get my pharmacy to put my meds in a dosage blister pack. I make sure I take along an extra weeks worth. On the back is the prescription labels in case of any questions

 

I'm going to talk to my pharmacist about combining my over-the-counter fish oil, caltrate, panadol osteo and the multo-vitamins with my prescribed medication in 2 Webster Packs (local version of blister packs) and take the beginning Travel Day's medications in a Ziploc bag in my handbag. It would CERTAINLY reduce my packing in that department! I know there is a small fee, but the convenience of reduced packing is worth it IMHO.

[LokiPoki]

Can see you've already had a lot of answers, but what I do when travelling, as I'm on a lot of prescription meds - enough to fill an entire suitcase on their own if I took all the original packaging, even squashed flat (well not quite, but you get the picture...) I cut the front panel off the box - the part that has the pharmacy label with my name, prescribing doctor & pharmacy info, etc., plus enough to show the trade and drug name and dose. Each drug goes into it's own ziplock bag with its bit of packaging, and is kept in a specific "medical bag" with copies of scripts, doctors letter & brief medical history.

 

Like others, I've never been asked to show anything - even though what I take includes controlled substances. Only thing that's ever thrown anyone into a tizzy is the magnets I use to control one of my implanted pain management devices (which Princess security wanted to confiscate...would've made for an interesting trip :eek:)

[RoadTripFanatic]

All prescription medication should be in a prescription bottle. It's very easy to call your local pharmacy or your 90 day supplier and ask them to give you an extra bottle. You can be arrested for not having controlled substances in an original prescription bottle. It can be seen as intent to sell or distribute if you don't have your name and script on the bottle.

[Montrealais]

This is our first cruise, and my mil told me that if you bring any medications or vitamins on board they need to be in the original bottles. Is this true? It seems a bit excessive.

 

In some countries (Japan, Singapore, etc.) they have very strict regulations and laws. Even over the counter products (for us) can be prohibited!

[Colo Cruiser]

all prescription medication should be in a prescription bottle. It's very easy to call your local pharmacy or your 90 day supplier and ask them to give you an extra bottle. You can be arrested for not having controlled substances in an original prescription bottle. It can be seen as intent to sell or distribute if you don't have your name and script on the bottle.

 

+1.

[easyboy]

All prescription medication should be in a prescription bottle. It's very easy to call your local pharmacy or your 90 day supplier and ask them to give you an extra bottle. You can be arrested for not having controlled substances in an original prescription bottle. It can be seen as intent to sell or distribute if you don't have your name and script on the bottle.

no harm in asking the pharmacy.

[west coast cruiser]

I put a weeks supply in a pill container and since my cruises are always longer than a week, I put the rest in a plastic bag in their original containers.

[fuzwuz12]

If your medical system is using MyChart or something like that for your medical information on the internet, you can make a copy of all your prescriptions in a nice easy to carry list. I always print a new list just before a trip. When I have to get blood testing done during a cruise, I just show the list to the Princess medical people which is must easier then trying to remember everything. A great deal of information is available at this site which you can print.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

I saw this on a travel show... I recently bought some small medication bags from the container store. They're smaller than a baggie and they close just like a baggie. I had the pharmacy print out some medication labels for me that I will carry with each medication. You could also have some medication labels printed out and carry them with your Monday through Friday containers. Just a thought.

[donaldsc]

This is our first cruise, and my mil told me that if you bring any medications or vitamins on board they need to be in the original bottles. Is this true? It seems a bit excessive.

 

Some people actually believe this. Most of us including me bring the pills in multi-pill containers. I have never had a problem. If you are really worried, bring copies of your prescriptions - this takes less space.

 

DON

[Loonbeam]

To sum and clarify.. Just given volume, its not likely you will be stopped and inspected, but if you are....

 

The best possible scenario is to have all prescriptions (and even non-prescription meds) in their original bottle or other form of pharmacy issued packaging. If this is practical, do it.

 

If that is not practical, second best practice is to package each one in a container with some form of prescribing info (a label, etc).

 

If THAT is not practical, carry a copy of each prescription with you.

 

As noted, except for controlled substances, its not technically a legal requirement to use original packaging, but like having forms for minors, a passport versus DL/BC, etc, its always better to have and not need then need and not have.

 

Side note - in the event (as has happened to me), you spill some pills into the sink or lose some via other mishap, its a lot easier for an out of town pharmacist (or out of country) to procure additional supplies when they have the actual label and prescribing info. (In my case, all I had to do was find a CVS in Ft. Lauderdale, they looked up the prescription #, called my insurer and got approval for a 14 day supply in 10 mins)

[shredie]

I take pictures of the labels on my traveling pharmacy and keep them on my phone. I put the pills in one of those daily dose thingys. Never had a problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums