Question about Medication

[Chef2bK]

I am a first time cruiser leaving on Sunday on the Sensation and I have a question from my mom (who is also a first time cruiser). She would like to know if medication has to be in its original bottles while going through customs. She usually combines them all in one bottle so she doesn't have to take so many bottles and she was wondering if this was still ok.

 

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

 

Kate

[chefboyrdee]

if you have a controlled substance ie: narcotic pain killers i would leave them in their original prescrition container. if there is a drug sniffing k-9 at the port it will smell the drugs. and if they are not in the original container there is no proof that you posess them legally. as for the rest of the medication one of the daily reminder containers that hold the medications for the entire week would be ok!!

hope that helps

[rvrgirl]

I always bring my meds in the original prescription bottle. I carry them on in my purse. Purse goes thru the scanner, and they have never questioned me.

[IrishDolphin]

I brought on a narcotic and a muscle relaxer (having had emergency back surgery 4 weeks prior to cruise).

 

Prior to sailing, my hubby called and asked various questions, one being if I could just put my pills in one of those weekly dividers. They said no, put them in their original bottles (my name, my dr., my pharmacy). I have a feeling it was because of the narcotic (vicadin).

 

I did, however, put my aleve and a few other pills in the weekly divider and had no problems with it at all.

[flynrph]

Keep all medication in original container. This eliminates any questions. period.

 

Now there is also a very good practical reason. Should your mother become incapacitated and emegency personel need to know what she is taking, a bottle full of assorted pills is the worst possible source of information (is it routine medication or stuff you use very rarely, and what is this anyway?). You can't guaranttee you will always be around to sort it out immediately. And, this is good advice while at home, too.

 

Next, I would be not be comfortable thowing all the stuff together. Let say you have a gel coated capsule with a liquid drug inside, and the bottle gets too much heat or moiisture, and this capsule oozes onto the other medication. Not a good thing.

 

To reduce the size of the vials, ask your pharmacist to provide you with a smaller lableled vial. Problem solved.:cool:

[Big Spanker]

I take a number of medications and this is what I did when we last traveled and cruised for a couple of weeks. I took a weeks supply and left it in a weekly container in my carryon. I also listed all my perscription numbers, drug and my doctors info as well as the names of the two non persription drugs I take in there as well. I packed a better than one weeks supply in original perscrition bottles and put in my checked luggage, and had no problems. I would agree with other posts that most perscriptions should be in original bottles especially Narcotics. I did have another perscription for claustrphoiba that I left in original bottle, and no one looked at all.

Also a note if You leave home and forget your meds, Pharmacies can transfer your meds to another Pharmacy once, after that you must go through your doctor. This has happened to me.

Dean Hamy

[Jacquelyn11]

Agree with Flynrph. Keep all RX meds in the original RX container. Also keep Over The Counter (OTC) In the manufacturers containers to identify lot # and Expiration date. You can take your "Pill Minder" with you and set it up in your cabin. Just keep meds you may take while out of your cabin in the container.

 

It's also against the law in some states to carry ANY RX meds in a non-rx container. There was a case where a man was stopped by the police for a traffic violation and was found to have a "little blue pill" in his pocket (for his date later that evening! ;) ) The man could not produce a RX for the med so he was prosecuted for breaking a FEDERAL LAW:

 

CAUTION: Federal Law Prohibits Transfer of this drug to any person other than patient for whom prescribed. **LOOK AT YOUR RX LABEL, ITS THERE**

 

Yep, ladies and gents, when you give your relatives, neighbors or friends one of your RX pills to "help them out" you are breaking the law!! :eek:

 

Now the prosecution rate it about the same for going 3 miles over the speed limit, :rolleyes: but it COULD happen!

 

Have a great time cruzin'

 

Jacquelyn :D