RX meds/vitamins/OTC meds

[cfc525]

With security the way it is these days, do meds have to be in their own original containers? I would like to use one of those days of the week pill box holders instead, to carry in my purse. Is there a security check on this when boarding?

[6rugrats]

I have never had anyone look at my prescriptions, whether they were in their original containers or not. If you have a liquid prescription, such as eye drops, leave them in the original box with the prescription label, and they don't have to be packed in your quart sized baggie.

[onceagain]

This will be our 14th cruise, I've always just taken our meds in the weekly Sunday-Saturday pill container and have never had a problem. Sometimes the pill bottles are just huge, with just a few little pills at the bottom, they would take up so much space in the carry-on.

[paul929207]

We had trouble in Delhi in November with my wife's perscriptions. They were in the original bottles. The official wanted the original perscription. We explained that the druggist keeps it.

[JanineM]

I have heard reports here of people who ran into trouble when carrying pills in generic containers (like those day of the week ones). My doctor advised me to always carry my meds in the prescription bottle ... not just for issues with customs, but also because it could be essential for medical personnel should something happen to me. How would they know what meds I'm taking, or what conditions I have if they just have a container with two white pills, a brown one, and a yellow one?

[kitty9]

We have had airport security hassle us quite a number of times with prescription meds. One time when the TSA was going through my mom's carry on, she pulled out her baggie of prescriptions and said "you're lucky you have them in their original bottles, because you could be stopped and asked about them if you didn't". If you're not flying, don't worry, but if you're flying to the port, you need to keep them in their original containers with your name on the bottles.

[cb at sea]

If it's not a hassle to leave them in the containers, leave them! If you use a "pill box"--don't worry. As long as they aren't narcotics, they're not going to bother you about them.

The ship doesn't care one way or the other what pills you bring. It's the airlines (and those weird TSA agents) that you may have to worry about.

[sail7seas]

We flew home from our cruise a week and a half ago from FLL.

Because I had a jewelry pouch in my carryon, they opened my bag to look at it. Above the pouch was a ziploc baggie with my prescription medications. The inspector made it clear if they had not been in pharmacy bottles, they would have been confiscated.

 

No matter how many people post the seven day holders are fine, they are only fine if no inspector decides they are not fine. I wouldn't dream of trying to board a plane with necessary medications in anything but original pharmacy bottles. Not enough people can post here otherwise to make me consider traveling with my pills in a seven day holder.

 

When we arrive at the ship, I set up our seven day pill holders.

 

[scarlett68]

I actually was also thinking there could be a problem in each individual country if you're going around with your pills in your purse without them being inside their bottle - in terms of the police, I mean.

[sail7seas]

We had trouble in Delhi in November with my wife's perscriptions. They were in the original bottles. The official wanted the original perscription. We explained that the druggist keeps it.

 

 

Groan.......

 

Did he let her keep her medications?

[Keith1010]

My recommendation is to keep the medication in its original containers. When you get on the ship then place it in the pill box holders. I just think you avoid any issues doing it this way.

 

Keith

[uppitycats]

You definitely should keep your prescriptions in their original containers. If not, the very least you should do is get copies of your prescriptions from your pharmacy (yes, they "keep" the originals but can easily give you copies!) to take with you. OTC meds should be in their original containers as well, if you're going to carry them in your carry-on or purse. You can buy them in small sizes at the pharmacy in most cases. Otherwise if you don't need them with you, they can go into any sort of container in your checked luggage.

[FritzG]

Our insurance requires a mail order pharmacy, and the prescriptions are all 3 month supplies in huge bottles. If my DH took all of his meds in original bottles we'd need a separate case for them. He's always taken the day of the week containers and a copy of the prescriptions. We haven't had any problems, but I suppose there's always a first time. That would be a disaster as he really needs his meds.

[sail7seas]

Our insurance requires a mail order pharmacy, and the prescriptions are all 3 month supplies in huge bottles. If my DH took all of his meds in original bottles we'd need a separate case for them. He's always taken the day of the week containers and a copy of the prescriptions. We haven't had any problems, but I suppose there's always a first time. That would be a disaster as he really needs his meds.

 

Maybe his doctor would write Rx's for a thirty (or less) day supply that you could fill at a local pharmacy and pay for yourself seeing as your insurance would not pay? That way you would get smaller bottles and you could use them again for future travel.

[beachchick]

Maybe his doctor would write Rx's for a thirty (or less) day supply that you could fill at a local pharmacy and pay for yourself seeing as your insurance would not pay? That way you would get smaller bottles and you could use them again for future travel.

 

We've done that, but the 30-day supplies are more expensive. What I've taken to doing is requesting from time to time that the mail-in pharmacy fill the 90-day supply in several small bottles. Each small bottle lists the entire prescription information, so there's no problem there. The pharmacy won't always do it, but has never said no when it's for a restricted medication (e.g., pain meds). That way we can take just what we need in a smaller bottle. It's so true that some of those 90-day bottles are huge (and often only 1/2 full).

 

beachchick

[uppitycats]

We've done that, but the 30-day supplies are more expensive. What I've taken to doing is requesting from time to time that the mail-in pharmacy fill the 90-day supply in several small bottles. Each small bottle lists the entire prescription information, so there's no problem there. The pharmacy won't always do it, but has never said no when it's for a restricted medication (e.g., pain meds). That way we can take just what we need in a smaller bottle. It's so true that some of those 90-day bottles are huge (and often only 1/2 full).

 

beachchick

 

If indeed you can't get it in smaller bottles, you do need to get a copy of the prescription to take with you. That generally will suffice should you indeed get questioned. It may be that you never will...but if you're one of the unlucky ones to get stopped, it could help out a lot!

[Happy ks]

I don't think security looks at your pills, unless they have another reason to inspect your bag. What's to say you didn't replace the prescription pills with a different kind of pill?

 

We've done this in the past, my husband takes one prescription, we'll just add in our vitamins and another OTC med he uses daily.

 

If the drug were a controoled substance I'd not mess with it, but really the only reason you need the script at all is if there is a medical emergency, the medical staff needs to know the dosage and when the med was taken. Most pharmacies will print out an extra label for you, Longs Drugs has done this for me in the past.

[FritzG]

Maybe his doctor would write Rx's for a thirty (or less) day supply that you could fill at a local pharmacy and pay for yourself seeing as your insurance would not pay? That way you would get smaller bottles and you could use them again for future travel.

 

We tried that on for our last land trip in Europe. It would have cost over $600 to order a 30 day supply locally for the meds he needs! His dr. is good about giving him copies of the prescriptions to take along.

It's so silly because as others have said, what's to keep us from putting something else in the original bottles? They're sealed so they can be tampered with easily.

[sail7seas]

My pharmacy includes a sheet with each of our prescription refills that describes exactly what the pill or capsule looks like in addition to printing on it our name/doctor/name of medication etc If an inspector were to question exactly what was in each pill bottle, this pharmacy provided sheet would answer any question they may have. I always include that in my carryon along with the zip loc of bottles.

 

[Treven]

Another voice for taking the original bottles. Why take even a remote chance. Mine takes up more than one gal sized ziplock bag. I take all of my daily Rxs as well as those that I might need, i.e. migrain med, asthma med, etc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

My DH takes quites a few medications -- and some of them look like horse pills they are so big.

But we keep everything in their original bottles and I also take along the the sheet that comes with each prescription.

We also get 90 day supplies and some of those bottles are large -- our drug store will make smaller bottles for us when it is time for us to cruise.

And we do keep all of the prescriptions in a medical bag in one of the carry-ons.

[Donray]

Never had a problem carrying pills in the seven day pill cases. We carry up to a three supply for each of us that way. We fly at least six trips a year since 2004 and never had a problem.

If I was security I would be more concerned about hundreds of what people say is vitamins than a few dozen pills. Look at all the cocaine that could be hidden in capsules in vitamin bottles.

[sail7seas]

Never had a problem carrying pills in the seven day pill cases.

Yet.

 

Others have had problems and their pills were tossed. We also cruise a fair amount per year and I absolutely would not take the chance.

 

Your health, your pills, your risk...... do as you please. But, just because you have not YET had a problem does not mean you will not. Hope you continue to sail along with no hassle.

 

[trooper 1]

(Edited) Our insurance requires a mail order pharmacy, and the prescriptions are all 3 month supplies in huge bottles. If my DH took all of his meds in original bottles we'd need a separate case for them.

 

Same here. On cruises I take enough pills in the original pharmacy container for twice the length of time I expect to be gone. (e.g. 7 day cruise = 14 days of pills, etc.) Whatever number of pills left over I leave at home in our home safe. I use those weekly pill boxes once onboard.

I did not think TSA or any foreign countries require you have 90 pills in the original container even if the label says you may renew for 90 days? Am I missing something here?

[sail7seas]

No, you do not have to have a full 90 days supply in the 90 day bottle. You only have to have the proper pill in the pharmacy bottle. I do like you and bring about double the quantity as the length of time we plan to be away. It is fine to have 14 pills in a bottle that once held 90.

 

 

You could be not continuing a medication past a certain date for whatever reason and are just finishing the last of the prescription.