Prescription medicines in checked luggage

[MickeyMom2Boys]

Do prescription medications and vitamins have to be in the individual bottles if they are in checked luggage or is it OK to put them in the day to day containers?

Thanks!

 

[maxiesmom]

Don't put your prescription medications in your checked luggage. Keep them in your carry-on. If it is something you take frequently, you do not want to risk it being lost, and then having to deal with trying to get your prescription refilled wherever you are. Do not put your meds in your checked bags!

 

[Jestocost]

I agree with the PP that your prescription medications should be taken on the plane with you to avoid any problems that might result from lost baggage.

With regard to the original question, for domestic travel you definitely do not need to worry about having your medications in their original bottles. You can divide pills and vitamins up in a daily dose container. I do that every time I travel and have had no problems. Even if you are flying internationally it's usually OK to have pills out of their bottles, but check with your airline or for information about the specific countries you are travelling to to be sure.

If you have liquid medications (OTC or prescription), those also can be taken through security in containers larger than 3 oz. and should NOT go in your 3-1-1 bag. You should inform the TSA screeners if you are carrying liquid medications, however, and follow their instructions as to what to do with it.

 

[tkldisney]

You do not have to have you meds in individual bottles unless traveling international. Like other post DO NOT PUT YOUR MEDS IN CHECKED LUGGAGE!!!!! I always have mine in carryon in one bottle or day container.

 

[NotUrsula]

We can't repeat it too many times:
DON'T PUT Rx MEDS IN CHECKED BAGGAGE!!!!!!

If you're thinking to yourself, "Man, are they paranoid. How often do checked bags really get lost?" then you are missing the issue. This isn't about lost baggage, it is about stolen drugs. Inside thieves target medications wherever they can find them, and they don't check to see if they are worth anything before they lift them -- they just grab them when they see them, and worry about whether they are saleable later. Meds in checked baggage frequently manage to mysteriously disappear from inside the bag.

 

[disneynuts777]

We can't repeat it too many times:
DON'T PUT Rx MEDS IN CHECKED BAGGAGE!!!!!!

If you're thinking to yourself, "Man, are they paranoid. How often do checked bags really get lost?" then you are missing the issue. This isn't about lost baggage, it is about stolen drugs. Inside thieves target medications wherever they can find them, and they don't check to see if they are worth anything before they lift them -- they just grab them when they see them, and worry about whether they are saleable later. Meds in checked baggage frequently manage to mysteriously disappear from inside the bag.

Has it been said enough!!!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

This isn't about lost baggage, it is about stolen drugs. Inside thieves target medications wherever they can find them, and they don't check to see if they are worth anything before they lift them

Not just limited to air travel. I live in what's supposed to be a secure (but large) apartment building; I get my prescriptions by mail-order.
About a year ago, I came home late one evening, well after the mail was delivered - no package in my mailbox, no package on the table in the lobby for that purpose, no package outside my door.
When I left for work the next morning... there's a Tyvek envelope from BioScrip and addressed to me - on it on the table... it had been opened and taped shut. Apparently one of my lovely neighbors took it, opened it, determined there were no "good" drugs in it - and put it back where I could find it.

 

[DebbieB]

I travel all the time for work (I am on a business trip in Dallas right now) and use the daily pill cases for domestic travel. Never been a problem. I keep it in my purse.

 

[rahnjacey]

I agree with maxiesmom, because he had given way to carry your prescription medicines with you. Usually I take my medicines in a small bag, so it never been a problem to me.

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with the PP that your prescription medications should be taken on the plane with you to avoid any problems that might result from lost baggage.

With regard to the original question, for domestic travel you definitely do not need to worry about having your medications in their original bottles. You can divide pills and vitamins up in a daily dose container. I do that every time I travel and have had no problems. Even if you are flying internationally it's usually OK to have pills out of their bottles, but check with your airline or for information about the specific countries you are travelling to to be sure.

If you have liquid medications (OTC or prescription), those also can be taken through security in containers larger than 3 oz. and should NOT go in your 3-1-1 bag. You should inform the TSA screeners if you are carrying liquid medications, however, and follow their instructions as to what to do with it.

One clarification - Jestocost did talk about what to do with a liquid medication is in a container larger than 3 ounces - follow that advice if the container is more than 3 ounces.

If the container is 3 ounces or less, you can put it into your 3-1-1 bag with your other liquids if it fits. The size of the container is what’s important, not that it is a prescription.

Here is a link to the TSA page about travel with medications.

 

[prncess674]

When I left for work the next morning... there's a Tyvek envelope from BioScrip and addressed to me - on it on the table... it had been opened and taped shut. Apparently one of my lovely neighbors took it, opened it, determined there were no "good" drugs in it - and put it back where I could find it.

Why do you assume the worst about your neighbors? I too live in a big building and on occasion I have had mail and packages that I *thought* were mine only to realize that it wasn't mine once I opened it and looked at the contents. I then just sealed it back up and returned it to the desk. I have to imagine that you aren't the only one who receives meds by mail in your buidling.

Accidents happen. The front desk guy handed me a package and it came from an online retailer that I frequently shop at and just tore into the package and then was perplexed by the contents. I then went and read the shipping label and it was actually for someone else in the building who had the same first name. Sure I guess I could have been seen as someone looking to steal, but I just sealed it back up, wrote sorry on the outside and never thought a thing about it. I guess I am now by your definition some thug looking to steal from my neighbors.

 

[Alesia]

Why do you assume the worst about your neighbors? I too live in a big building and on occasion I have had mail and packages that I *thought* were mine only to realize that it wasn't mine once I opened it and looked at the contents. I then just sealed it back up and returned it to the desk. I have to imagine that you aren't the only one who receives meds by mail in your buidling.

Accidents happen. The front desk guy handed me a package and it came from an online retailer that I frequently shop at and just tore into the package and then was perplexed by the contents. I then went and read the shipping label and it was actually for someone else in the building who had the same first name. Sure I guess I could have been seen as someone looking to steal, but I just sealed it back up, wrote sorry on the outside and never thought a thing about it. I guess I am now by your definition some thug looking to steal from my neighbors.

I'm guessing that she knows her neighbors.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why do you assume the worst about your neighbors?... Accidents happen. The front desk guy handed me a package... I guess I am now by your definition some thug looking to steal from my neighbors.

First, that incident was three years ago (this thread is two years old, and my incident was a year before that). And a neighbor and I were at the post office at the same time complaining about theft - he never got his package back - so yes, given the opportunity, some of my neighbors are thieves. More about that below.

You and I obviously don't live in the same type of secure building. We don't have a front desk, or a person at it. We have locked doors, opened with a fob or buzzer. Packages that don't fit in the boxes are supposed to be left at the individual apartment door (if delivered separately) or a notice left in the box to pick up at the post office, if delivered by the carrier.

Finally, with apologies for not copying the last two lines of your post instead of just the last line - 'sorry' is nice, it really is. It indicates a mistake was made. So does bringing the package to the right recipient; someone did that for me once, and I redeliver misdirected mail.

It's interesting this thread woke up when it did. I've been ordering quite a few items online lately, and most have been shipped UPS. slight problem there, in that I ended up having to pick up everything... because the driver won't leave packages at my door, even with a note from me, because he's afraid of them 'disappearing!

But two of the packages, shipped via FedEx SmartPost, are showing as having been delivered TO ME last Wednesday at 3:25 PM. Not to the post office, but to me. Nope. I got nothing. Nobody tried to deliver them to my door, because I had a bag hanging on the knob but also stuck in the door for UPS (and again, I've never lost a package delivered to my door).

Nothing in my mailbox - no notice to pick up, not the smaller package which may or may not have fit. The bigger package? Gone. It took three calls to each company to get them to understand the items are lost, and now one is sold out so I'll never get it. So while I agree prncess674 isn't a thief, you don't know my neighbors.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'm guessing that she knows her neighbors.