Each Friday, we feature a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip comes from reader Don B., who says:
“Something which has never been discussed is the problem resulting from the new rules requiring meds to be in their original LABELED containers. My wife just returned from a church (not Mormon) mission to Egypt, and she had clear instructions about this requirement. Yesterday, my Walmart pharmacist said the only method she was aware of was to request that your meds be placed in the smallest container available (free to do). This still means much unusable space. And no, meds cannot be combined in one container with multiple labels.
“Needless to say, carry-on exacerbates the situation. This is frustrating. A basic rule is to take meds in *both* carry-on *and* checked. Using Walmart’s suggestion resolves this situation.”
Thanks, Don. Traveling with medication can be tricky. That’s why it’s always a good idea to look over the rules related to medication in the specific countries you’ll be traveling to. In Japan, for example, the rules are very strict, particularly when stimulants are involved. Across the board, keep your medications in their original, labeled containers. And see the CDC’s page on the subject for more.
More on traveling with medication
- Bring Extra Prescription Medication
- Don’t Try a New Medication for the First Time on a Plane
- The CDC’s Travelers’ Health Page Is a Must-Visit Before Any International Trip
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I put meds in small baggies and affix the prescription label on the baggie. Have never, ever had prescriptions questioned in visits to over 125 countries.
Good to know but not sure it will fly in some countries if they search you.
My prescription calcium is a fizzy tablet a little like Alka-Seltzer. There are ten in a plastic tube which comes in a cardboard box. To save space, when I travel I take the tube out of the box, the prescription label is on the box .
On my last trip overseas some of my calcium was confiscated at the airport before even leaving.
Why? because the fizzy tablets are considered powder and new regulations place limits on powder. If I had left them in the cardboard box (or transfer the label to the plastic tube) I would have been able to take them.