Packing Medications question?

[232271]

I wanted to know if i need to leave all my medications in the original packaging IF I am checking my luggage in?

We fly American.

thanks!!

 

[NotUrsula]

*NEVER* pack your meds in checked luggage! If it goes astray or is rifled, you will have to replace them, and health insurance will usually refuse to cover replacement fills. Always keep meds on your person while travelling, and lock them in the safe in your room when you go out (they have been known to walk away while guests are out if left in plain sight. Not just narcotics, any type of pills.)

On a US domestic flight, personal amounts of oral medications do not have to be in original pkg. (Injectables do need to be in original pkg., and for narcotics, it is a good idea to carry a copy of the scrip, just in case.) For intl. flights, oral Rx meds should be carried in original pkg.

 

[torianne31]

I would contact the airlines directly on their policy, but..do you mean you want to put your medicine in your checked luggage? If your bags get lost, which sometimes happens, your medication would be gone. I always take my prescription medications in my carry on or purse. I've always taken it in the original bottles, so I don't know if it would be problematic if it were in, say, a pill case. It's always better to be safe than sorry, if I were you, I would take it in the original bottles and in my carry on bags. Remember, the only people who can tell you for sure though would be the airline employees....

 

[MariettaC]

I always leave medication in the original bottles and pack them in my carry on bag. This way there is no question as to what I am carrying and if my bags get lost I still have my medication.

 

[cymomtx]

I do believe, (i know for sure in Texas) it might be federal law that all prescription medications have to be in original containers. You can contact your pharmacy and have them make smaller bottles/containers for travelling purposes. I'm not sure about over the counter meds, but I would sure hate to be trying to explain to a law officer what type of meds are all mixed up in one bottle.

 

[experiment626mom]

My husband carries his prescription in a pill case and we haven't had any problems to date. He also carries a note from his doctor as to what he takes and why.

 

[Kasmir]

Yes, leave your prescription meds in their original containers, although I don't believe that you need any kind of note from your Dr for domestic flights.

But I agree with the above: Never ever never ever never ever never put any meds in checked-in luggage! You really are asking for trouble by doing that. Besides, regardless of lost luggage, if your plane was significantly delayed or re-routed and someone needed those meds, you wouldn't have access to them.

Definitely either put the meds in the safe in the room, or put them in an inconspicous place, such as a sock drawer.

My son has special needs and takes several meds. We have done a lot of domestic travel and have never had an issue with the meds. In fact, I normally carry them all in my purse for the duration of the trip, along with Motrin, Tylenol, etc... You just never know what type of situation may arise that could keep you from getting to the meds.

Good Luck!

 

[jenndisney]

The other reason for keeping your meds in their original bottle is for your safety and the safety of others. If something happens to you, your spouse can just grab the bottles and take them with you to the hospital. We may think we can remember all the dosage and names, but under pressure, you may not.

Also, if you are traveling with smaller children, you want them in a container they can't get into. I also count out my pills and take two extra days worth. That way IF a child was to get into the bottle, I would KNOW how many should be there and what exactly they took. You would be surprised how many people don't know the proper names of their meds.

Just my two cents....

 

[NotUrsula]

I never carry mine in their original bottles on domestic flights, and I travel a lot for work. (I also take several meds.) However, the back of my pillcase has a plastic card holder glued on, and I carry duplicate labels in that.

If you prefer bottles, but your bottles are bulky, you can also ask your pharmacist for small bottles to use when travelling, with duplicate labels on the small bottles. Duplicate labels state very clearly that they are duplicates; it's perfectly OK to get them without refilling the scrip. I'm a pretty good customer, so my pharmacist does them for me at no charge when I need them for intl. travel.

 

[safetymom]

I travel with my pills in a pill container. I travel quite a bit and have never had any problems. I keep extra in my carry on and pack the rest in the suitcase. That way if my suitcase is lost for several days I still have my meds. Suitcase was lost once for about 6 hours.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you check the airline websites, you will see all of them say to never put medication in your checked baggage.
You probably won't get in any "trouble" by having the medications in a pill holder rather than a pill bottle. But if you are ever in an accident and are not able to speak for yourself (or are just so flustered that you can't remember what medications you take), having those loose medications could cause a delay in your care while someone looks them up to see what they are. Or, even worse, you could be given medication or treatment that would interact with the medications you are taking, because no one knows what you are taking....

One way around that problem that I know some people who like the pill containers have used is to get extra labels from the pharmacist. They used clear tape to attach the labels to the outside of the pill container, so they could use their container and still identify their pills.