medications and airtravel

[trekkie2]

Hope this is the place to find the answer to this question. Leaving in 2 weeks for my first WDW trip with my first airplane trip. My question is regarding traveling through security with medicaions. I am on an insulin pump and will be taking my supplies and insulin in the box with RX info from pharmacy. But I use a pill box for my orals and would like to take it with me. can I do this or do they need to be in the bottles?
Thanks for the help.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I would bring the bottles these days. Even though technically I know you don't have to stick non-liquid or gel medications in a clear plastic bag, I've discovered that I'm given a lot less hassle if I just stick all of mine in the clear plastic quart bag, etc. If they're all just in a pill box, someone at security (don't *ever* check your meds) might think they were illegal drugs and take them away.

Two suggestions that might work:

1) If you're worried about accidentally losing meds while gone, only bring enoough for your trip with maybe a day or two extra and leave the others back at home in one of the pill boxes.

2) Bring the pill boxes separately and set them up one you get there. If you stick the empty pill boxesin checked luggage, they shouldn't hassle you about it.

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with the other poster.
Here's a link to a recent post on the same subject from the Transportation Board. I posted links there to the TSA (Transportation Security) website.
While you can bring medications in pill sorters, they do need to be identifiable. There is less room for an overzealous TSA agent to question if pills are in the original bottle.
Another possibility is asking your pharmacy for an empty small extra bottle that you can put pills for the trip in - I know sometimes DD gets her pills in big bottles, so we leave her big bottle at home and take a little bottle.

 

[Barbday62]

My husband takes Methadone and Vicodine for his Muscular Dystrophy and he carries a small pill box in his fanny pack because I cant tell you how often he has been places and no pill bottles with us. I was so worried not only for airline travel but general living of having these so called "street" type drugs in his possession even though its all legal. We got small zip lock baggies from Michaels that fit over the small pill carrier and then he asked the pharmacy to type him a label he puts on the bag. Some do it and some wont. He also discovered he can always take the label off his last bottle when empty with clear tape and accomplish the same thing and then the date is more current on the label. I know its not perfect but at least what he carries has some sort of identification.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have two of the Daily pill holders; one of my breakfast time and the other for the dinner time pills. The first one is quite large. I put the loose pills in each for each day. I then put those two cases, along with syringes, pen needles, and alcohol swabs in a narrow case. I will put this case in my carryon when travelling. I will also put my insulin bottles and Byetta pen in a Frio cold pack, and put that inside a small cooler bag; I will also put that inside my carry on bag.

Last year I had had five round trip flights, which is about normal for me, and have never been questioned about any of my medications.

 

[clhcpaca]

I have two of the Daily pill holders; one of my breakfast time and the other for the dinner time pills. The first one is quite large. I put the loose pills in each for each day. I then put those two cases, along with syringes, pen needles, and alcohol swabs in a narrow case. I will put this case in my carryon when travelling. I will also put my insulin bottles and Byetta pen in a Frio cold pack, and put that inside a small cooler bag; I will also put that inside my carry on bag.

Last year I had had five round trip flights, which is about normal for me, and have never been questioned about any of my medications.

I do exactly the same thing (not as many trips) and I have never had anyone asked about the medications. I never even take them out of the carryon bag.

Cindy

 

[Selket]

We traveled by air twice last year with my younger son who is type 1 and on an insulin pump.

He doesn't take pills - all his meds are liquids/creams of some type (insulin, asthma meds, eczema meds, epi-pens, glucagon, etc). I put all of his items in a single carry on and about everything had the prescription label (Maybe a tube of eczema cream didn't). Because we also had some apple juice boxes in there (to treat lows - he is more likely to drink that than eat tabs, etc) I told the screener when we got up to the belt that there were medical supplies in this one case that were over the 3 ounce limit. Usually they just put it through the machine and perhaps opened it up on the other side and pawed through it. No problems. His pump also never set off the metal detectors.

My husband said he put his pills in a pill case in his carry-on - no problems with those either. I agree though that you're probably always better having the bottle with the label if you can.

If you are carrying your insulin in a frio or with cold packs I would make sure to point that out to the screeners before going through. They seemed to always appreciate the advance notice and that all of our medical supplies that were outside the 3 ounce criteria were in one spot along with his syringes, infusion sets, etc..