Question Re: Medications in Luggage

[kilee]

We are leaving for Disney in just under 2 weeks now. This will be our first time on a plane (I just couldn't do that 2 day drive again). However, I have been reading the policies regarding luggage and carry-ons and I have a question. We will be flying Southwest btw. I take 6 different medications that are prescription. According to the website all meds need to be in there "dispensed container" with your name and dosage amounts, ect. Here's my problem. I use all samples from the office I work at. I don't have prescription coverage. So these don't have my name on them at all. They are nothing that extraordinary (the are for High BP, Asthma, Thyroid). How do I handle this situation??? I cannot afford this close to our trip to go get these at a pharmacy just so my name is on them. The one med is $300.00+ for a 2 week supply. Anyone ever expierence this? Also, I had planned on bringing a round of antibiotics (my md approved). I get chronic UTI's. I would prefer not to have to go to the ER to have it treated when I know what it is and my M.D. has given my the go ahead to take a treatment with me just in case. (She has done this everytime I go away-- sometimes I need it sometimes I don't). Anyhow, I just am not sure how to handle this.

Should I keep all the meds maybe in a gallon size ziploc bag along w/ a note from the doctor, or possibly a script for each item? TIA

 

[Bella2000]

Have you contacted Southwest and asked them their procedure? Is the issue Southwest or airport security? I'd suggest bringing a note from your doc if there are a lot of meds that are all sample packets especially if they fill up a gallon size bag. It's always a good safety measure to get a script just in case you lose important meds or if there is a problem. I have never flown Southwest but was concerned about my epipen and my inhaler for the same reasons on another air carrier- name etc is on the box not on the actual pen or inhaler. I carried it all and other meds (bottles so they did have my name) in my carry on with no prob. Good Luck.

 

[safetymom]

I travel all the time for work. I have my prescriptions pills in the organizers and never had any problems. I keep some extra in my carry on in case my suitcase gets lost. I haven't had any problems since I have been doing this. I also went out of the country last week and was questioned about my pills. They are not in the original bottles.

 

[SueM in MN]

The only part about medications I could find on the Transportation Security Administration website that talked about medications talked about injectable medications.
Quote from the website:
Injectable Medication
Make sure injectable medications are properly labeled (professionally printed label identifying the medication or a manufacturer's name or pharmaceutical label). Notify the screener if you are carrying a hazardous waste container, refuse container, or a sharps disposable container in your carry-on baggage used to trainsport used syringes, lancets, etc.
They may only be interested in injectables because they provide a lot more security risk than pills (you could threaten or incapacitate people with an injection, but a terrorist with a bottle of pills would not be much of a threat).

In general (even if not traveling by air), it's best to have medications at least labeled with what they are, who they belong to and the doctor who prescribed them. In an emergency, that would be helpful information to have.

 

[wld]

I usually try to travel light so just take the amount of medication I need and I take vitamins that aren't marked with my name anyway, but the bottle is too big to take. I just have them in an organizer in my carry on bag. It was even searched a couple of time a year ago and no one said anything. This wasn't Southwest though

 

[BCV23]

Since they are samples perhaps it would reduce your chances of a hassle if you take them in their original sealed "sample" packages. No question about what is in them then.

 

[ducklite]

You should have no problems. TSA isn't customs, and really couldn't care less about your meds as long as they aren't potentially dangerous (needles for example). It's customs when you are crossing a border that cares about med labelling.

That said, the easy way around this is very simple, have your doctor write out a script for each med and carry it with you.

Have a good trip!

Anne

 

[kilee]

Thank you-- non are injectables and they are all in packaging that lables their specific names and miligrams. So I will not worry about it-- there's just so many little things to think of. Now I'm measuring my luggage .