Flying with medication....

[Prairie~Phlox]

It’s been a while since we flew & last time we had checked bags. This time we’re taking carry ons. I have a few meds that I take, is it best to put them in a daily divider, or just leave in their own bottles. I also want to take activated charcoal, just in case. Thanks.

[gardenmom5]

I didn't have any problem when I flew last summer.  i took rx in bottles, and sups in dividers.

 

if you have controlled substances- they should be in their own bottle.

 

domestic vs foreign might be different . . .  I need to look into that. . . . some sups I can skip - others, I can't.

[Annie G]

I take my statin and blood pressure med in just a tiny medication ziploc bag but if I had more serious stuff I'd take it in the original prescription bottle.  For instance, if I had prescription pain meds or xanax or something. But nobody has ever questioned my right to have lipitor. g  

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

I've never had problems with drugs.  Usually I just dump them all into one bottle instead of taking multiple bottles. 

 

 

[justasque]

You should, at the very least, have documentation for the meds you are carrying - what they are and that they were prescribed for you.  The prescription label on the bottle should be sufficient.  Most people make it through the TSA checkpoint without a lot of detailed checking, but if for whatever reason you are flagged for a closer look, it would simplify things if you can show that the meds are what they are, and that they are yours.  I like mine in the handy-dandy pill box, but I do carry the original packaging also (boxes flattened, etc.).

 

If you plan to carry on all of your luggage, and you will need your meds either in-flight, at layovers, or if you are delayed, you will need to keep them in your under-seat bag rather than your overhead-bin bag.  Sometimes the overheads are full and those bags must be gate-checked at the last minute, where you would not have access to them.  Always make sure you have what you may need (in-flight or at a layover) in your under-seat bag.

Edited January 20, 2018 by justasque

[TechWife]

If you have any prescription liquids or gels that are over 3 oz., make sure they are in their original container and that they are labeled! You may not make it through security if they are not labeled. Sometimes the pharmacy labels the box, not the tube or bottle inside. If you need to, go back to the pharmacy and ask them to print another label for you so that you can put it on the tube. I don't know if they will or not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. 

 

Otherwise, I think it is good practice to travel with prescriptions in their original, labeled containers. I have no desire to explain myself to the TSA or run the risk of missing my flight due to security delays. 

 

 

[justasque]

If you have any prescription liquids or gels that are over 3 oz., make sure they are in their original container and that they are labeled! You may not make it through security if they are not labeled. Sometimes the pharmacy labels the box, not the tube or bottle inside. If you need to, go back to the pharmacy and ask them to print another label for you so that you can put it on the tube. I don't know if they will or not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. 

 

Otherwise, I think it is good practice to travel with prescriptions in their original, labeled containers. I have no desire to explain myself to the TSA or run the risk of missing my flight due to security delays. 

 

Yes!  And as a preemptive measure, put any larger liquids/gels in a zip-loc and throw it in the TSA bin separately as if it was a 3-1-1 bag.  It will be quicker if they can immediately see what it is and move on, rather than seeing it on the x-ray then digging through your bag for it (which usually spurs them on to look more closely at everything).