Flying With Insulin Cartridges and Pen Needles?

[MickeyEars]

Hi!
Just wondering if we'll have any trouble with my son's diabetic supplies going thru airport security? Also, do we have to carry his pen needles in their original box which will no doubt get squished or can I have the drugstore put them in a ziplock and put the prescription label on that?
Finally, do I need to get his supplies out of my purse/bag and put them thru the scanner separately or can they remain in my bag and be scanned?

Thanks for your help!!!

Carla

 

[rachellm]

You won't have any problems. I fly with pre-filled syringes often.
You can either bring them in the original box, or a different bag. I make sure to always have the prescription info w/ my name (I'll just tear off the piece of box with the prescription label and stick that in a ziploc) - but no one has really even looked at it or questioned.

I'm not sure if you are supposed to take them out and put them through separatly or not. I used to - and I'd mention to the TSA agent and they normally looked at me like "Why would I care." So I stopped. I just leave it in my bag and have never had an issue.

 

[disney david]

Hi!
Just wondering if we'll have any trouble with my son's diabetic supplies going thru airport security? Also, do we have to carry his pen needles in their original box which will no doubt get squished or can I have the drugstore put them in a ziplock and put the prescription label on that?
Finally, do I need to get his supplies out of my purse/bag and put them thru the scanner separately or can they remain in my bag and be scanned?

Thanks for your help!!!

Carla

Just let them know and it won't be a problem you have the right to have them hand inspect the medicine and supplies if you don't want them going through the X-ray. It your choice you can take out of the bag to show them then put it in agin or have them hand inspect it.

Ifyou go in Tsa.gov they have lots of info plus and number you can call to ask any questions you might have.


Here is te number for Tsa cares

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/disabilityandmedicalneeds/index.shtm

Here the info with traveling with insulin it toward the middle of the page



http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1374.shtm#4

 

[MickeyEars]

Thanks guys for the replies I appreciate them!!!

Carla

 

[buffettgirl]

I don't even worry about having the rx for the syringes (or pen needles, in your case). They're looking for things that are out of the norm - so if you had syringes with nothing else, they'd question that. They're going to see pens, insulin, test strips, meters and so the pen needles won't raise a single eyebrow.

I tend to put all my son's supplies in zippy bags that I stash among my carry on and my dh's. so when we get to the check I pull out all the D supplies and stick them in one bin together. Then I indicate that they belong to my son. This way I can also stick in any cooler bag we're carrying with any juice boxes or other liquids.

 

[mickeymedic]

I travel with 2 injectable medications - one of them requires refrigeration. So, I put both injectables into a soft-sided lunch-style bag with a cold pack (taken out of the freezer right before we leave for the airport.) I pull the cooler bag out of my backpack when I go through security. I have never been asked about. Nor have I ever had security want to check what was inside the cooler bag.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have a backpack full of medical supplies and equipment including syringes. I just run it through the X-Ray and have never had any problem.

And all of my pills are in multi-day containers so I do not have any copy of any prescriptions with me.

Also, I generally run about five air round trips per year.

 

[GenevieveRaqs]

I fly with insulin and pen needles all the time. You won't have a problem. I used to take them out of my carry-on and declare them to the TSA agents, but after a lot of shrugs, I just send everything through the X-ray now. I don't even bother taking any of my supplies out of my bag. I usually have a full box of needles plus some loose ones in my meter case. I've never had anyone say a word.

When traveling internationally I usually take a letter from my doctor stating why I have the meds and supplies, just in case, but I've never once been asked for an explanation.

 

[MickeyEars]

Thanks again everyone for your replies, I feel a lot better now!!!

Carla

 

[PatsMom]

I have never had a problem flying with my medications. I put my 7 day pill organizer, along with the bottles of pills I take as needed or on other schedules in a gallon ziploc bag. I also put in that bag the wristlet I keep my Victoza and pen needles in. When I was on insulin I did the same thing. Never bothered with a prescription label. My glucometer is in the same carry on but not in the ziploc.

The only time I bother to mention anything is if I have items in a cooler or larger liquid containers. When I as on carafate for an ulcer, they did check that for explosive residue because it was a fairly large container of liquid. And when I was on Byetta and insulin if I had to take a spare that had to be refrigerated prior to opening, I would carry a small softsided cooler and they would check that because of the ice packs. Now I am on a high enough dose of Victoza that I only get 10 days per pen so if I need a spare I don't bother refrigerating it since they are good for 30 days after you stop refrigeration. Works out well.

Have a great trip. If you are going when it is hot, the Frio packs work great for keeping your medication from overheating if you have to carry it around with you!

 

[aubriee]

I put my Victoza pen and needles in a quart zip lock and then put that zip lock in the same bin as my 3-1-1 bag. I always just carry a single pen. It's never had a prescription on it, but it's never received even a second glance by the TSA. I fly to WDW 4-6 times a year and have never even been questioned about the Victoza pen. I think the TSA agents are used to seeing them.

For that matter I carry all my other meds in a Vera Bradley daily pill reminder and just leave it in my carry on. It too has never received a second glance. I've never carried copies of my prescriptions. The TSA web site says you don't have to. Even if I had a list of my meds, do you think a TSA agent could look in those pill boxes and determine what each individual pill is. You could carry a list of meds and still put anything else you wanted to in one of those pill boxes.

 

[disney david]

I put my Victoza pen and needles in a quart zip lock and then put that zip lock in the same bin as my 3-1-1 bag. I always just carry a single pen. It's never had a prescription on it, but it's never received even a second glance by the TSA. I fly to WDW 4-6 times a year and have never even been questioned about the Victoza pen. I think the TSA agents are used to seeing them.

For that matter I carry all my other meds in a Vera Bradley daily pill reminder and just leave it in my carry on. It too has never received a second glance. I've never carried copies of my prescriptions. The TSA web site says you don't have to. Even if I had a list of my meds, do you think a TSA agent could look in those pill boxes and determine what each individual pill is. You could carry a list of meds and still put anything else you wanted to in one of those pill boxes.

Every pill has an mprinted number on it so it wouldn't be that hard for the agents to find out what it is. All they need is a computer. They have better things to do then check each pill and see if it matches what you say is in their. That why the TSA dose not make you prove what the pill is it not the agent or tsa business what pills you take.

Here a site you can use to find out what the drug is

http://www.rxlist.com/pill-identification-tool/article.htm

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Every pill has an mprinted number on it so it wouldn't be that hard for the agents to find out what it is. All they need is a computer. They have better things to do then check each pill and see if it matches what you say is in their. That why the TSA dose not make you prove what the pill is it not the agent or tsa business what pills you take.

It is true that you should have no problem with TSA and not having prescription drugs in their original bottle. The only problem arises when you are flying to certain other countries, such as Australia or Japan (two countries which have pretty strict rules about bringing prescription drugs into the country).

 

[disney david]

It is true that you should have no problem with TSA and not having prescription drugs in their original bottle. The only problem arises when you are flying to certain other countries, such as Australia or Japan (two countries which have pretty strict rules about bringing prescription drugs into the country).

Yes Tsa not looking for drugs their looking for other things other country's and us customs is a differnt story like you said. Their they would have the training and equipment to check to make sure true that right medicine. If the op was traveling outside the us I would Recomend like you saying is ti keep them in their orriginal container.

 

[goofy_joe]

I fly several times a year with pen needles, syringes, insulin pen cartridges, and vials of Lantus. I just leave everything in my carry-on and put it through the X-ray. I haven't been asked about them in at least the past five years. It's not a problem. They haven't looked at my bag manually in forever. If I'm carrying a box of pen cartridges and a vial of Lantus, it's way less than 3.4oz and generally does not need to be declared.

No matter what you do, I'd strongly recommend redundancy; that is, packing an equal amount of supplies in checked and carry-on baggage. That way, if you lose one, you'll have the other.

I also account for each day's dosages when it comes to supplies, like pen needles. (I pack five a day in addition to my departure and return days, plus what's already in my pen kit, even though I don't take five pen injections a day.) I have had checked baggage "lost" twice in the past and I was glad to have insulin with me in my carry-on.

YMMV, but it's generally OK for insulin / pen cartridges to not be refrigerated for about as long as it takes to fly from one place to another. I just put them back in the fridge when I get to my destination. I've even gone on short trips where they're not refrigerated for a few days, and I have never had a problem. (Insulin is usually good for about 30 days at room temperature IIRC.) Again, just my experience (one of many).

 

[buffettgirl]

I fly several times a year with pen needles, syringes, insulin pen cartridges, and vials of Lantus. I just leave everything in my carry-on and put it through the X-ray. I haven't been asked about them in at least the past five years. It's not a problem. They haven't looked at my bag manually in forever. If I'm carrying a box of pen cartridges and a vial of Lantus, it's way less than 3.4oz and generally does not need to be declared.

No matter what you do, I'd strongly recommend redundancy; that is, packing an equal amount of supplies in checked and carry-on baggage. That way, if you lose one, you'll have the other.

I also account for each day's dosages when it comes to supplies, like pen needles. (I pack five a day in addition to my departure and return days, plus what's already in my pen kit, even though I don't take five pen injections a day.) I have had checked baggage "lost" twice in the past and I was glad to have insulin with me in my carry-on.

YMMV, but it's generally OK for insulin / pen cartridges to not be refrigerated for about as long as it takes to fly from one place to another. I just put them back in the fridge when I get to my destination. I've even gone on short trips where they're not refrigerated for a few days, and I have never had a problem. (Insulin is usually good for about 30 days at room temperature IIRC.) Again, just my experience (one of many).

Correct : insulin, once opened, does not need to be refrigerated, simply keeping it at room temp is perfectly fine. However many of us bring multiple vials of unopened insulin. We carry one opened vial of novolog which is in use, and then one unopened vial of that plus one unopened vial of lantus in the event we have a pump breakage. So those items would need to remain cold otherwise we'd have to toss them after the 30 days.

 

[*sarah*]

I put my Victoza pen and needles in a quart zip lock and then put that zip lock in the same bin as my 3-1-1 bag. I always just carry a single pen. It's never had a prescription on it, but it's never received even a second glance by the TSA. I fly to WDW 4-6 times a year and have never even been questioned about the Victoza pen. I think the TSA agents are used to seeing them.

This is what I was concerned about and exactly why I clicked on this thread. We have debated and debated going to DL or WDW, we can drive to WDW but would have to fly to DL and I was so worried about my Victoza pen. I'd read somewhere that you had to have a prescription label on it and I do not since I recieve my pens in the mail through a patient assistance drug program. But whew, I am relieved that it seems pretty easy to get my meds through security. DL here we come!! So excited cause we've never been there before.

 

[PatsMom]

This is what I was concerned about and exactly why I clicked on this thread. We have debated and debated going to DL or WDW, we can drive to WDW but would have to fly to DL and I was so worried about my Victoza pen. I'd read somewhere that you had to have a prescription label on it and I do not since I recieve my pens in the mail through a patient assistance drug program. But whew, I am relieved that it seems pretty easy to get my meds through security. DL here we come!! So excited cause we've never been there before.

You won't have any problem at all. I do second what Joe said though - bring more supplies than you think you will need. I carry a backup glucometer just in case I lose or break my favorite. I also have extra needles, etc. You never know when one won't screw on the pen properly. I also carry an extra pen usually just because I have had pens jam up on me and not dial up the dose. They are good for 30 days unrefrigerated so unless you are on the lowest dose, refrigeration of the pen not in use won't be a problem either. I do my shot in the morning and leave everything in the hotel room.

You can ask for a sharps container for your used needles and lancets. I've had mixed luck with getting one delivered right away. OKW seems to be great, other resorts I haven't been so lucky. I bring a heavy duty water bottle like the Vitamin Water bottles and use that as a sharps container in those cases. Duct tape it closed and I mark it as medical waste - sharps when I leave it on a table.