TSA took my cancer medication away
Oct 21, 2006, 7:35 pm
#46
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Originally Posted by flyingpharmd
At DEN, a TSA agent told me that the Tylenol #3 that I was carrying for pain from dental work was "hazardous" and she was going to confiscate it. She also told me that I didn't "need" the medication and told me it was too addictive. My mouth was full of gauze, and I could not talk very clearly, but I called her supervisor over and told him that the prescription vial was properly labeled, that I am a licensed pharmacist and had just had a root canal.
The supervisor gave the agent holy hell. He told her, verbatim, "I told you to stop it NOW! You have no right to take the medication away from him. Clear him NOW and let it go!" Through security screening I went, with her foul look at me the entire way.
I sent a letter of complaint to the Colorado Boards of Pharmacy and Dentistry, and also followed-up with a letter of complaint to TSA. What the TSA agent did comes dangerously close to the practice of a health profession, and unless she holds the proper license(s), she needs to shut her trap. There is no exemption from licensure requirements for anybody, and this includes TSA agents.
The supervisor gave the agent holy hell. He told her, verbatim, "I told you to stop it NOW! You have no right to take the medication away from him. Clear him NOW and let it go!" Through security screening I went, with her foul look at me the entire way.
I sent a letter of complaint to the Colorado Boards of Pharmacy and Dentistry, and also followed-up with a letter of complaint to TSA. What the TSA agent did comes dangerously close to the practice of a health profession, and unless she holds the proper license(s), she needs to shut her trap. There is no exemption from licensure requirements for anybody, and this includes TSA agents.
Oct 21, 2006, 7:46 pm
#47
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Originally Posted by flyingpharmd
I sent a letter of complaint to the Colorado Boards of Pharmacy and Dentistry, and also followed-up with a letter of complaint to TSA. What the TSA agent did comes dangerously close to the practice of a health profession, and unless she holds the proper license(s), she needs to shut her trap. There is no exemption from licensure requirements for anybody, and this includes TSA agents.
Oct 21, 2006, 8:33 pm
#48
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Originally Posted by oldpenny16
It was bad enough having my Rx meds logged in at both DFW and DEN without having to worry about losing a very expensive bunch of meds.
Oct 21, 2006, 9:21 pm
#49
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,015
What's more important, your drugs or your civil rights? They are both equal targets for confiscation, and yet one may be more expedient than the other prior to a plane trip...
You ought to be scared the hell out of next time you see the shiny white uniform of shame.
You ought to be scared the hell out of next time you see the shiny white uniform of shame.
Oct 21, 2006, 9:23 pm
#50
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Originally Posted by oldpenny16
It's obvious to me that the screener intended to steal your drugs!
Oct 21, 2006, 9:28 pm
#51
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I'm back online now. Thanks for all the thoughts and advice. I was unfortunately very brief in my OP. I had just landed in Narita and sitting in the lounge waiting for my flight to Singapore and only had a few jet-lagged minutes to go online. I am sorry that you all had to speculate on what it was about. On the surface, it wasn't that horrible, but it still should never have happened and it highlights what some have said about the TSA "practicing" medicine.
I have skin cancer. It nearly killed me a few years ago, but now I am fine as long as I take extra special care to protect myself. As I don't want to live indoors for the rest of my life, my doctor has ordered me to use the best sun block I can get. The skin care industry has come up with some new medications recently that have been integrated with certain makes of OTC sun block. Check out http://www.neutrogena.com/content_169.asp for an example. That is what I had in my bag. This is what my doctor told me to always have with me and this is what he gave me a note for to take on the plane. That is what the TSA denied on the airplane.
Why take it on the plane rather than checking it? Two reasons. The first is that I was flying for about 24 hours (LAX-NRT-SIN) and when someone has the window open at 35K feet, the power of the sun is very strong. So I usually reapply the sun block during such a long flight. The second reason is that I am a frequent flyer with over 100 flights per year all over the world. If I checked my bags every time I would lose a lot of luggage. Even if my luggage was just delayed for a day or two I would be gone before it arrived. Checking bags is rarely an option for me. However I did try to return to the United counter to see if they could check the medication for me. Unfortunately it was too late to do so. My flight to NRT was boarding.
I think the TSA thought I was somehow sneaking normal sun-tan lotion on board. I showed them the bandages on my skin from two recent biopsies my doctor cut out of me and tried to explain Helioplex to them, but they didn't buy it. They assumed that it was just normal sun-tan lotion. I think that is the crux of the problem. The TSA is making medical assumptions that they are not qualified for. Obviously there are load of liquids and cremes on every flight, so why restrict ANYTHING that a traveler claims is medicine?
I have looked for this or any other appropriate skin care products here in Asia before and I haven't found anything. So I guess I'm out of luck. Over the next couple of weeks I have to go to BKK-MUC-ZRH-DXB-MUC and ping pong around Europe. Then in December after going back to HKG I will make it back to LAX. So I really don't have much of an opportuity to talk to any US media except by email or telephone.
I have skin cancer. It nearly killed me a few years ago, but now I am fine as long as I take extra special care to protect myself. As I don't want to live indoors for the rest of my life, my doctor has ordered me to use the best sun block I can get. The skin care industry has come up with some new medications recently that have been integrated with certain makes of OTC sun block. Check out http://www.neutrogena.com/content_169.asp for an example. That is what I had in my bag. This is what my doctor told me to always have with me and this is what he gave me a note for to take on the plane. That is what the TSA denied on the airplane.
Why take it on the plane rather than checking it? Two reasons. The first is that I was flying for about 24 hours (LAX-NRT-SIN) and when someone has the window open at 35K feet, the power of the sun is very strong. So I usually reapply the sun block during such a long flight. The second reason is that I am a frequent flyer with over 100 flights per year all over the world. If I checked my bags every time I would lose a lot of luggage. Even if my luggage was just delayed for a day or two I would be gone before it arrived. Checking bags is rarely an option for me. However I did try to return to the United counter to see if they could check the medication for me. Unfortunately it was too late to do so. My flight to NRT was boarding.
I think the TSA thought I was somehow sneaking normal sun-tan lotion on board. I showed them the bandages on my skin from two recent biopsies my doctor cut out of me and tried to explain Helioplex to them, but they didn't buy it. They assumed that it was just normal sun-tan lotion. I think that is the crux of the problem. The TSA is making medical assumptions that they are not qualified for. Obviously there are load of liquids and cremes on every flight, so why restrict ANYTHING that a traveler claims is medicine?
I have looked for this or any other appropriate skin care products here in Asia before and I haven't found anything. So I guess I'm out of luck. Over the next couple of weeks I have to go to BKK-MUC-ZRH-DXB-MUC and ping pong around Europe. Then in December after going back to HKG I will make it back to LAX. So I really don't have much of an opportuity to talk to any US media except by email or telephone.
Oct 21, 2006, 9:57 pm
#52
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Originally Posted by flyingpharmd
At DEN, a TSA agent told me that the Tylenol #3 agents....
Tylenol NO. 3 with CodeineŽ: Each round, hard, white, flat-faced tablet, bevelled-edged, engraved with "3" on one side and "McNEIL" on the other, contains acetaminophen 300 mg and caffeine 15 mg, in combination with codeine phosphate 30 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: cellulose, cornstarch, and magnesium stearate. This medication does not contain gluten, lactose, sodium metabisulfite, or tartrazine.
Unless Tylenol #3 comes in some other form, why the h*ll was she even looking at it???????
Oct 21, 2006, 10:10 pm
#53
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Originally Posted by MikeMpls
... Unless Tylenol #3 comes in some other form, why the h*ll was she even looking at it???????
Oct 21, 2006, 10:31 pm
#54
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Remember the "tools" thread from the past two weeks...
For the "Tylenol 3 Traveler", or others who experience unreasonable behavior, an FOIA request for the cameras recording your line can be invaluable in showing abuse or improper behavior by a TSA agent.
You will need to find out how long the tape records before being written over, or before the digital file is deleted. You may luck out and have the record kept long enough for it to have a complete file on a server, or tape taken to offsite storage.
You may need law enforcement or your lawyer to request that they "preserve and maintain" that evidence, or whatever legal jargon, ASAP in order to insist that it not be altered or destroyed. Present that in writing, and keep a copy, even if handwritten. If it is just you in the line, needing immediate action, make that known immediately, in writing, and make sure you get/keep a copy.
Finally, sit down and record a step-by-step record of what happened, by whom, and in time order, to the best of your ability. Straight facts, less opinion...this would be your official record. Get names and badge #, and # of bars on the shoulder. Some have said call the FSD for the region, and others say get the Airport Authority management involved (and they are often ready to investigate and act when a TSA staff missteps in their airport facilities, and get something done).
This is not legal advice, as I am not a lawyer. I hope a lawyer or LEO (esp. Fed.) reading this can correct or expand on the proper procedure for a member of the general public requesting "evidence" be preserved intact.
For the "Tylenol 3 Traveler", or others who experience unreasonable behavior, an FOIA request for the cameras recording your line can be invaluable in showing abuse or improper behavior by a TSA agent.
You will need to find out how long the tape records before being written over, or before the digital file is deleted. You may luck out and have the record kept long enough for it to have a complete file on a server, or tape taken to offsite storage.
You may need law enforcement or your lawyer to request that they "preserve and maintain" that evidence, or whatever legal jargon, ASAP in order to insist that it not be altered or destroyed. Present that in writing, and keep a copy, even if handwritten. If it is just you in the line, needing immediate action, make that known immediately, in writing, and make sure you get/keep a copy.
Finally, sit down and record a step-by-step record of what happened, by whom, and in time order, to the best of your ability. Straight facts, less opinion...this would be your official record. Get names and badge #, and # of bars on the shoulder. Some have said call the FSD for the region, and others say get the Airport Authority management involved (and they are often ready to investigate and act when a TSA staff missteps in their airport facilities, and get something done).
This is not legal advice, as I am not a lawyer. I hope a lawyer or LEO (esp. Fed.) reading this can correct or expand on the proper procedure for a member of the general public requesting "evidence" be preserved intact.
Oct 21, 2006, 11:27 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Buckeye Country
Posts: 55
Originally Posted by Arthurrs
Great advice, I hope that those whose medications being confiscated by the TSA, please write to the local state boards as well as the TSA! Just out of curiousity, if the case could be made of a TSA official "practising" medicine without a license, what are the legal consequences?
I've been lurking here quite a while, but I'm gonna pipe up here. Bear in mind, I'm a doctor, not a lawyer - those in my profession tend to hang a lot of garlic to avoid the legal profession
- but the answer to this is that in most states practicing medicine without a license is a felony. Then again, so is stealing someone's prescription medication of a controlled substance. Kudos to standing your ground flyingpharmd - no one should be bullied out of necessary medications, especially those who are so ill that they can't fight back against such idiocy.
It would have been worth the price of admission to see that TSA worker charged on the spot with two felonies - one for illegally practicing medicine, and the second for attempting to steal narcotics. Where's a LEO when you need one.....
Oct 22, 2006, 1:43 am
#56
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Originally Posted by DriveByDoc
Where's a LEO when you need one.....
Oct 22, 2006, 2:04 am
#57
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Originally Posted by DriveByDoc
Hi all,
I've been lurking here quite a while, but I'm gonna pipe up here. Bear in mind, I'm a doctor, not a lawyer - those in my profession tend to hang a lot of garlic to avoid the legal profession - but the answer to this is that in most states practicing medicine without a license is a felony. Then again, so is stealing someone's prescription medication of a controlled substance.
Kudos to standing your ground flyingpharmd - no one should be bullied out of necessary medications, especially those who are so ill that they can't fight back against such idiocy.
It would have been worth the price of admission to see that TSA worker charged on the spot with two felonies - one for illegally practicing medicine, and the second for attempting to steal narcotics. Where's a LEO when you need one.....
I've been lurking here quite a while, but I'm gonna pipe up here. Bear in mind, I'm a doctor, not a lawyer - those in my profession tend to hang a lot of garlic to avoid the legal profession
- but the answer to this is that in most states practicing medicine without a license is a felony. Then again, so is stealing someone's prescription medication of a controlled substance. Kudos to standing your ground flyingpharmd - no one should be bullied out of necessary medications, especially those who are so ill that they can't fight back against such idiocy.
It would have been worth the price of admission to see that TSA worker charged on the spot with two felonies - one for illegally practicing medicine, and the second for attempting to steal narcotics. Where's a LEO when you need one.....
Oct 22, 2006, 2:56 am
#58
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Originally Posted by flyingpharmd
At DEN, a TSA agent told me that the Tylenol #3 that I was carrying for pain from dental work was "hazardous" and she was going to confiscate it. She also told me that I didn't "need" the medication and told me it was too addictive.
Oct 22, 2006, 8:26 am
#60
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Originally Posted by MikeMpls
And Google yields:
Tylenol NO. 3 with CodeineŽ: Each round, hard, white, flat-faced tablet, bevelled-edged, engraved with "3" on one side and "McNEIL" on the other, contains acetaminophen 300 mg and caffeine 15 mg, in combination with codeine phosphate 30 mg. Nonmedicinal ingredients: cellulose, cornstarch, and magnesium stearate. This medication does not contain gluten, lactose, sodium metabisulfite, or tartrazine.
Unless Tylenol #3 comes in some other form, why the h*ll was she even looking at it???????