Getting Prescription Meds and OTC thru Mexican customs

[Catladyesq]

Catladyhere. We have been on over a dozen cruises, but this will be or first where we fly from Tampa to Acapulco to board the Coral Princess for a full transit thru the Panama Canal. I am reading/hearing that unless our meds are in original containers w/name, dosage; need/type of medication mexican officials will toss it or worse yet you can be detained for "smuggling" drugs. Also, how does one travel with vitamins, herbs and avoid taking all the bottles? Does anyone have suggestions. This is rather upsetting. We need the meds onboard, but really wish to avoid carrying all the bottles.

[Bonnie J.]

Get a letter from your doctor listing all the meds and maybe herbs and vitamins you take. You may pack some herbs and vitamins in your checked luggage but not the RX ones. Have those in their labeled bottles in your carry on. The RX you want to be sure you'll have. If you lose your vitamins and herbs, you'll survive.

[Bonnie J.]

Another thought. Ask you pharmacy to put meds in smaller bottles with just a few more Meds than you'll need.

[sail7seas]

If you must take these medications while you are traveling, what is more important to fit into your carryon than required medication? Find room for the original pharmacy bottles and you won't have to worry about them being confiscated......or worse.

 

JMO.......

 

[married with children]

I would also make sure all my medications were in the originally labelled bottles and I would carry a signed prescription justifying their use, especially the drugs that the Mexican authorities deem as controlled substances.

You might want to read what is on this site:http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html

[sail7seas]

Catladyesq......

 

Please correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the 'esq' in your name mean attorney? If so, I imagine you probably know what would be the best choice to make about how to carry your medications to avoid problems with authorities??

 

A pharmacy labeled bottle always has patient's name, name of the drug, prescribing physician, pharmacy name, address and telephone. That should cover the necessities of proving you are legally entitled to be carrying those medications.

[RLBlack]

We have been through customs via air, in Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara- they have a system you first get your passport stamped- then retrieve your luggage- then go through a line that has what amounts to a stop light- you hit the button ( one per family) and if it goes red- then they take a look in all your bags. In 10-12 trips- we have only hit red once- and that time we were joining our family- so had nothing but hand carry- they paid no attention to our medications. I have noticed when others have gotten the red- if you look like the run of the mill tourist, they don't pay much attention to you. Just look through to see if you are carrying fresh produce, meat- things they tell you on the plane you can't take into the country - and send you on your way- remember- if they find something- they have paperwork to fill out too- We have found the "passport stampers" to be straight faced and very "official" and the 'stop light folks" - personable and will say- have a good vacation. Maybe someone else has gone through Acapulco.- have a great trip. Ruth

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always have our pharmacy prepare small empty bottles for us when we are ready to travel. Then I count out exactly what DH needs -- he takes quite a few medications -- and always add about 5 days extra -- just in case anything happens and we don't get home when we are suppose to.

[fllady]

:D I guess we have been lucky. I use the weekly boxes made for morning, noon and evening, and only bring them with our meds in. If I had to pack every bottle they would be a load. Husband takes 7 and I take 10. I carry them in my carryon and never had anyone look at them closely. We are also seniors so maybe we look innocent!:D

[firefly333]

You should always travel with prescription meds in their original bottles to be safe. We do and Im carrying lots of irreplaceable meds, some are seizure meds and most are highly controlled. If we lost any of them, they couldnt be replaced for a long time. Even here it usually takes days for Albertsons to fill them and they do the same prescriptions every month.

 

Why take a chance just to avoid some pill bottles? We have a little travel bag that matches our luggage which we only carry my sister's drugs in and we even put it in the safe in our cabins, thats how important those drugs are to us.

 

Even for a regular cruise you should not be travelling without the original bottles unless you have the prescriptions you can carry with you. One or the other. We cruise 3/4 times a year so its too hard to have current prescriptions, so we carry the bottles.

[newbiecruiser09]

My DH takes quite a few meds and uses some topicals as well. He usually saves a prescription bottle from each when he refills so when we travel he can take just what he needs (and not the whole 90 day supply).

[kitty9]

:D I guess we have been lucky. I use the weekly boxes made for morning, noon and evening, and only bring them with our meds in. If I had to pack every bottle they would be a load. Husband takes 7 and I take 10. I carry them in my carryon and never had anyone look at them closely. We are also seniors so maybe we look innocent!:D

 

 

You've been wayyyy lucky. My 81 year old mom takes, get this, 17 pills a day. We make absolutely certain to ALWAYS take her meds in their original container. On our last trip, the TSA person opened her carry on and pulled out her zip lock baggie, looked at the prescriptions and said, "you're lucky and smart you kept your pills in their original container....we could have stopped and asked you what each pill is for, and that takes a lot of time if you don't carry them separately". Also, mom has a few pills that have chemical reactions if put with other medicines, which can make them dangerous. ALWAYS keep your pills in their original bottles unless you want problems.

[Cadie]

You can have your pharmacist prepare your daily meds in blister packs ... you then only have the meds you need, all arranged in sealed, labeled packets.

 

Good luck!

 

Gisele

[cb at sea]

We've never had a "letter" from a doctor--and hubby takes alot of Rx's. As long as they're not narcotics, you don't need anything special. It's probably a good idea to take the meds in the pharmacy container, but you really don't have to. We've done it both ways--pharmacy bottles, and daily pill holders. No one has ever questioned his meds.

[sail7seas]

We've never had a "letter" from a doctor--and hubby takes alot of Rx's. As long as they're not narcotics, you don't need anything special. It's probably a good idea to take the meds in the pharmacy container, but you really don't have to. We've done it both ways--pharmacy bottles, and daily pill holders. No one has ever questioned his meds.

 

 

Yet. ;)

 

Hopefully your luck will continue.

[cuyahoga11]

No way would I ever chance not taking the origianal containers.