Does medicine have to stay in its original bottles?

I think prescription drugs are legally required to be kept in the original bottles with appropriate labels anywhere in the US. It's just one of those laws that aren't usually enforced. But it could be.

No, it does not. Not for the cruise lines or for the TSA. I've always used my daily med minder and have never had an issue.

Contrary to popular belief:

"TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply."

http://blog.tsa.gov/2013/09/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-traveling-with.html

I found some zippered mesh bags in the pharmacy dept at Walmart. They have tiny ziplock bags for them. I put a days' supply in each ziplock and put them all in the mesh bag. Then I print out my prescriptions from the pharmacy's online order site and fold it and put it in the mesh bag.

No, it does not. Not for the cruise lines or for the TSA. I've always used my daily med minder and have never had an issue.

 

Contrary to popular belief:

"TSA does not require passengers to have medications in prescription bottles, but states have individual laws regarding the labeling of prescription medication with which passengers need to comply."

 

http://blog.tsa.gov/2013/09/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-traveling-with.html

TSA has nothing to do with cruise ships. CBP does and original bottles and/or prescription copies are required for bringing drugs into the US.

CBP is U.S. Customs and Border Protection and their rules states should be in original container. It does state if not, you must have a copy of your prescription with you or a letter from your doctor. Keep in mind, an original container will have all the information needed.

"Prescription medications should be in their original containers with the doctor's prescription printed on the container. It is advised that you travel with no more than personal use quantities, a rule of thumb is no more than a 90 day supply. If your medications or devices are not in their original containers, you must have a copy of your prescription with you or a letter from your doctor. A valid prescription or doctors note is required on all medication entering the U.S."

Also, if you are stopped by law enforcement or involved in an accident, having prescription drugs not in an original container could present unnecessary problems and delay.

My husband and I also bring our weekly pill dispensers - not all the bottles.

And some folks bring on liquor and get away with it. But it's not allowed. You can always just take the chance but if they check they can disallow it. I thought the OP was wanting to know what the rule was. swampbaby quoted the rule according to CBP a couple of posts up.

This is a fact - do with it what you want. There is no law in the U.S. saying medications need to be in their original bottles. The law only says you need to be able to show proof of prescription.

TSA has nothing to do with cruise ships. CBP does and original bottles and/or prescription copies are required for bringing drugs into the US.

Wrong. Just because you don't ever see them does not mean they have nothing to do with cruise ships. TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration. They have authority to work any transportation hub and the Air Marshals (law enforcement wing of TSA) Viper Teams do occassionally work cruise terminals.

This is a fact - do with it what you want. There is no law in the U.S. saying medications need to be in their original bottles. The law only says you need to be able to show proof of prescription.

Let's not forget the OPs question here. They were wanting to know if they could just carry drugs in their weekly pill boxes and that could present a problem.

Wrong. Just because you don't ever see them does not mean they have nothing to do with cruise ships. TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration. They have authority to work any transportation hub and the Air Marshals (law enforcement wing of TSA) Viper Teams do occassionally work cruise terminals.

So do we need to start packing our liquids in zip-loc bags? :D

I take a digital picture of my medicines so I have a copy of the prescription and I take them in the bottles. I only take a couple of days extra than what I need, and leave the extra at home.

Also, do not pack them in your luggage!! Take them with you in your carry on. Someone on the last cruise I was on put them in her checked luggage, which was lost by the airline. I don't know why she was yelling at the cruise ship reception staff. They were doing everything they could to help.

I realize a LOT of people do not take an original bottle with them. Easiest thing to do is have the pharmacy label a duplicate bottle and use the smallest bottle they have. I have never had a pharmacy refuse to label an additional bottle.

Is it legal for a pharmacist to label a bottle that does not have the medicine exactly as prescribed?

Why are you taking pills? Can you live without them? Would you be in pain without them? If you don't have them, what will happen? What adverse effects will you go through?

 

If it is pills simply to help with high cholesterol and you can do without, or is it heart medicine?

 

The reason I'm saying this, is because medicine when traveling should always be carried in an original bottle, with the prescription info on it.

 

However, if you feel comfortable, that you will not accidently loose it, drop it, get lost in luggage, spill it down the drain, misplace it, or have it stolen and your life will not be risked if you don't have it, than carry it anyway you want, but if you depend on it for you life, than just carry the bottles with you. I see no reason to even ask the question, since medicine is way too important for many people.

 

Yes, you can go 18 times with no problems, like one poster said, just like you can get in a car for 18 years without an accident. So the 19 cruise, you leave your pill box in the car, lost in luggage or drop it in the sink than what?

Do you realize that all those "terrible" things could happen to the bottles of medicine that you have?

We have this conversation time and again.

Some people feel there is no risk of them having security in airports confiscate and discard their Rx medications.

Others of us feel that despite what the rules say, we are not willing to risk having our meds confiscated. If mine are taken, I don't cruise. I have to have them.

Therefore, my meds travel in the small pharmacy labeled bottles in which they are prepared when I get my refills.

Each can decide for themselves if they would rather be sure to have their meds or take the (perhaps small ?) risk of having them discarded.

As to boarding the ship with meds, they don't care if you bring the whole pharmacy in a ziplock. :)

Always best to carry prescription medication in a bottle with an original prescription label, especially when traveling internationally.

 

I fill my prescriptions in 90 day supplies, and obviously don't take three months worth away with me when I go on a one week trip - my pharmacist will print out an extra prescription label and put it on an empty pill bottle for me - I just take as many pills as I'll need (and a few extra in case of a travel delay) in that bottle.

Me too. Our cruises were world cruises. I keep them in the bottles. However, for short vacation I put them in the weekly container. But I took a picture of the bottle with my phone. I also have a folder in my phone with my blood type, my health status and all the medications I'm taking.

Stay healthy and happy cruising

M

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we have gone on more than 50 cruises and have never brought our prescription bottles with us. We used to use those 7-day pill containers but since we have started doing longer cruises, we now use little plastic pill bags.

Marianne

We have no choice but to fly to the ports.

We have our drug store prep all medications in smaller bottles with original labels.

Three time since 9/11, our medical bag has been checked. I don't want to take any chances of having our prescriptions thrown away -- and we have witnessed that at some airports.

I forget what was happening at the time (it was heightened security alert at TSA) but one agent tried to confiscate one family member's CPAP machine. The family member was "allowed" to go back and check it, even though they had traveled decades with it as a carry on.

Another family member had trouble with their insulin pump, CGM, and diabetic supplies. Even with the proper paperwork and forms from the doctor it took 40 minutes with the agents. His father became very angry (CPAP owner) and I got very worried that he might miss his daughter's wedding.

Anyways, the head of TSA showed up and cleared the medical devices.

I would always recommend having the proper paperwork, printouts of what the current laws/rules state, and backup plans. Also, stay calm!

Thus, in that situation, if the insulin pump was not allowed, he wasn't going. For certain cruises, find out if you can pick up more medication. If you could die without it and it gets taken away, do not go.

CBP is U.S. Customs and Border Protection and their rules states should be in original container. It does state if not, you must have a copy of your prescription with you or a letter from your doctor. Keep in mind, an original container will have all the information needed.

 

 

"Prescription medications should be in their original containers with the doctor's prescription printed on the container. It is advised that you travel with no more than personal use quantities, a rule of thumb is no more than a 90 day supply. If your medications or devices are not in their original containers, you must have a copy of your prescription with you or a letter from your doctor. A valid prescription or doctors note is required on all medication entering the U.S."

 

Also, if you are stopped by law enforcement or involved in an accident, having prescription drugs not in an original container could present unnecessary problems and delay.

The Canadian Gov't recommends the same advice. From this website: http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/medication

"Pack all medications in your carry-on baggage in their original, labelled containers to facilitate airport security and customs screening. Prescription medication is exempted from the liquid restrictions but must be presented to the screening officer separately from your carry-on baggage.

Do not try to save luggage space by combining medications into a single container."

If you choose not to carry any medications in their original containers, you face the risk of being questioned and detained by security/customs officials or having your medications seized.

We have no choice but to fly to the ports.

We have our drug store prep all medications in smaller bottles with original labels.

Three time since 9/11, our medical bag has been checked. I don't want to take any chances of having our prescriptions thrown away -- and we have witnessed that at some airports.

Should not have happened. This is from TSA's publicity blog . . .

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/09/tsa-travel-tips-traveling-with.html

Why are you taking pills? Can you live without them? Would you be in pain without them? If you don't have them, what will happen? What adverse effects will you go through?

 

If it is pills simply to help with high cholesterol and you can do without, or is it heart medicine?

 

The reason I'm saying this, is because medicine when traveling should always be carried in an original bottle, with the prescription info on it.

 

However, if you feel comfortable, that you will not accidently loose it, drop it, get lost in luggage, spill it down the drain, misplace it, or have it stolen and your life will not be risked if you don't have it, than carry it anyway you want, but if you depend on it for you life, than just carry the bottles with you. I see no reason to even ask the question, since medicine is way too important for many people.

 

Yes, you can go 18 times with no problems, like one poster said, just like you can get in a car for 18 years without an accident. So the 19 cruise, you leave your pill box in the car, lost in luggage or drop it in the sink than what?

agreed.. exactly what I was thinking.. and I know if you are flying it does state somewhere on the airline website that all medication must be in original bottle with prescription label... We always play safe and by the rules.. why risk getting caught in a situation without the labelled bottles? Gawd forbid but you could have a serious medical issue onboard, and all they have to go by are the tiny white pills in your daily doser? and your travel mate/partner might not know what they are called... doesn't make sense now does it? always in correct bottles with correct labels... safe rather than sorry..

... I know if you are flying it does state somewhere on the airline website that all medication must be in original bottle with prescription label... .

The airline sites, at least for US flights do not even mention meds. And the US TSA site specifically states that meds do NOT have to be in original bottles.

We do not use original bottles but we do carry copy of each label as well as list from Dr.

The airline sites, at least for US flights do not even mention meds. And the US TSA site specifically states that meds do NOT have to be in original bottles.

 

We do not use original bottles but we do carry copy of each label as well as list from Dr.

Guess the op did not read the links. :confused:

Guess the op did not read the links. :confused:

I suspect that happens with many links.

The vast majority do not carry the original bottles and nothing ever happens.

No one has every answered the question about how the police that everyone is worried about will know that the pills in the bottle are what is suppose to be in the bottle.

How does customs in say China know that what is in a vitamin bottle are all vitamins?

How do these know you did not print up a label and stick it on the bottle to smuggle something.

There have never been a first hand story of medicine in pill boxes being taken away and the people but in jail.

If like someone said you are afraid that you will lose important medication then you better carry a prescription with you so you can get a refill.

If I were carrying narcotic drugs I sure would have a prescription or note from a doctor that I needed to carry a lot.