inet32

I'm a 65 YO guy with quite a few health problems which require that I have an array of prescriptions drugs when I travel. Recently my pharmacy, CVS, has switched over to a much larger bottle - their minimum size is now 20 drams and a 2 week supply of most of my drugs doesn't even cover the bottom of such a bottle! More to the point, because of the number of prescriptions I have, a full set of these huge bottles takes up too much space in the container I carry my drugs and toiletries in, and wastes a LOT of space! (as well as contributing extra plastic to the waste stream)

My Question: I've seen conflicting information about whether the drugs have to be in the original container. My pharmacy has offered to print up stick-on prescription labels so I could put my pills in small zip-lock bags, each with its own official pharmacy label. Is that sufficient to get in and out of most countries?

Thanks in advance.

Mwenenzi

A question no-one can answer. May depend on the customs official.
Zip-lock bags to me do not look very official/pharmaceutical quality. But have seen on TV that illegal drug dealers use them.

Also prescription medication from one country may be illegal in another country.
Over the counter medication from one country may be prescription only in another country.
Over the counter medication from one country may be illegal in another country.

Finkface

I have asked for (and received every time) empty prescription bottles many times. Put your spare label on that and you’re good to go.

inet32

CVS doesn't HAVE smaller bottles. I could buy some online but the the printed labels are designed to fit 20 dram bottles, so that wouldn't work on a 10 dram bottle.

Finkface

Maybe try a different pharmacy? The empty containers are pretty generic and I don’t think anyone will notice if your label says CVS and the top of the container says Walgreens. Or buy them online, then for your label issue, just photocopy it onto a sticker sheet, reducing the size. Or scan it, reduce it, and reprint it on a sticker sheet

Mwenenzi

Any label that looks modified or "doctored" may attract attention.
I would try a different pharmacy:- your pharmacist may know of others in the area that he/she has a professional relationship with.

Jaimito Cartero

Efrem

This may not be practical. We don't know where the OP is from, but the reference to CVS suggests the U.S. Many U.S. health insurance plans require medications to be purchased via a specific pharmacy chain, or provide less coverage for medications that are not.

Yoshi212

A 16, 12 or 10 dram vial will be quite easier to fit vs a 20 dram. You could go to a local pharmacy that does offer smaller and request to buy a few. Many people use them for storage of small parts for hobby collection btw and then apply the label you're given from CVS to those smaller bottles and reserve them solely for travel purposes (updating if your dosage changes). I just looked at my CVS 20 dram with label and it would fit on the 16 fine and with just a little overlap on the 10 or 12. In the industry, if the label doesn't fit to display all info you can fold over the part with information about side effects/pill description so it sticks to itself creating a tab that with overlap with the rest of the label but not block it from being read.

84fiero

My CVS dispenses certain things that my wife takes, in a Ziploc baggie with the Rx label on it. It's just an ordinary Ziploc or generic equivalent bag - nothing special. Or as Yoshi212 suggest just fold the label over if need be - that's also something my CVS has done when it doesn't fit.

erik123

Take it anyway you like. I travel often to all continents and have never been asked. Take copies or photos of your perscriptions and have your md write a letter. Any pain killer or injectible might cause additional issues/scrutiny.

JDiver

Amazon offers a large variety of pill vials, clear, amber, etc. ask your pharmacy if they can print a reduced size label, or if it’s just the length apply as much as possible around the vial and then fold the label back on itself so you’re left with a labeled vial with a tab, essentially.

Romelle

For years, I've carried a week's supply in one of those silly long-rectangle 7-box containers with day of the week marked on each little box. Rubber banded to keep it from popping open. For subsequent days the rest is dumped in a big zip-lock bag. Never been questioned yet. Trips from US to Europe, Mid-East and Eastern countries.

I've read I'm supposed to carry prescriptions, but haven't done so.

txflyer77

If you're worried about specific medications in certain countries, you can email the consulate and ask if any are a problem. Japan is one destination that can trip people up in this regard.

The only thing I carry in the original prescription bottle is my anti-anxiety medicine since psychotropics are one of the categories that sometimes attract extra attention, though to date nobody's asked.

GeezerCouple

We've just encountered this from CVS problem, when they discontinued using/stocking their previously smallest vial for pills. Almost all of our many Rx's would fit in the smaller one, and I doubt we are alone in this. Why they prefer to stock only the larger "small" isn't clear. It might not cost much more, but they take up more space, and aren't even stackable.

We are planning to find/buy some of the smaller ones, and ask our pharmacist to attach proper labels (or just hand us the labels, which they'd do with no problem if they didn't feel right about attaching them). I had thought about sticking the two ends together, sticking out a bit, if important info would be covered, but I like the "foldover" end better. Thanks!

This is, or could be, a serious concern (and possible *very* serious) depending upon which meds, which country, and also in some cases quantity of meds. And OTC meds can be a serious concern, too. There can be some surprises about what isn't allowed, or is only allowed in limited quantities, and what needs advanced permission, etc.
Japan is, indeed, among the more strict, although not the *most* strict. But again, it matters which meds. In Japan, Sudafed (the original formula, which is the only one that actually helps us, is banned entirely, except in very low concentrations, which leaves out the regular tablets. For other "sensitive" meds, especially some pain meds, pre-approval is required, but it was a very simple and quick process. In some cases, a smaller quantity doesn't need pre-approval, but above a threshold, it is needed.

www.CruiseCritic.com has quite a few threads about this, with considerable details, now and then:
Here is a link to the Disabled Travel sub-forum:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=190

We figure it is better - much better - to be safe than sorry, and we ALWAYS carry meds in Rx labeled containers, a copy of the Rx for anything sensitive (and this can vary with country), and a signed letter from MD stating that "<meds> are required for medical care", listing each of the meds.
We just update the paperwork approximately annually, so nothing is too much out of date.
We certainly don't want to be "turned away", and we even more do not want to be, uh, apprehended at some border!

We've had some "regular security" folks rummage through a carry on occasionally, but they never seemed at all interested in anything "medical". They never find whatever it is they might be looking for, which is fine with us

GC