ralfp

If the OP is thinking about taking Adderall, then the prescription bottle for the generic may not be the best thing to take along, since it's probably labeled "Amphetamine Salts" or something like that.

Even more interesting would be Desoxyn, i.e. methamphetamine, though nowadays it's not prescribed often.

I don't know how many countries' customs officials would be okay with a bottle labeled "methamphetamine HCl", even if it was a legit prescription.

AAaLot

I wonder if this is a theoretical problem or a real one. Has anyone ever really had a problem (even in Singapore), or is it that you could have a problem?

Bobster

Of course it's a real problem. Didn't you see the thread about U.S. customs confiscating a jar of Vegemite? Every country has different rules. If you think you can get advice here instead of contacting the consul of the country you're visiting, you might as well flush it down the toilet now.

CDTraveler

Can't say if it is routine in Mexico, but the one time I flew into Ixtapa/Zihue the Mexican Customs agents demanded to see every single pill that anyone on the charter had with them - yes, it took about an hour for them to look into every single toiletries kit, and no, that airport did not have A/C. I have no idea if they knew what any of the pills they saw were for, but they let me keep my Bayer aspirin.

robb

The problem with Adderall is that as a Schedule II drug it comes on a special prescription form. In California, this form supposedly has light-activated features that not only render the copy useless, but mark the original as "Void", so I'm not sure how one would copy the prescription.

So, does anyone specifically have experience with a Schedule II drug like Adderall, Ritalin, or one of the major pain killer drugs in a country like Singapore? Is it enough to just have your current prescription bottle clearly labeled with your name and a recent date?

djk7

No personal experience, but here is the story of a woman who spent 8 weeks in a Dubai jail for having codeine in her urine, so the possibility of turning into a horror story exists.

Flaflyer

These days I xerox a prescription before filling it then staple a copy in my International Vaccination yellow card. That way I always have it with me. The real pain is when I get a 30 or 90 day supply of something that are large pills or several a day, and it comes in a quart size bottle. Three of those won't fit in my carry on. I got some tiny orange pill bottles from my pharmacy and then remove labels from the big bottles and put them on the travel size bottles.

It is hard to remove vitamin labels. I take my vitamin bottles and lay them on a copy machine and copy the fronts. At least I have descriptions of what each pill is if ever I need to explain what each and every pill in my possession is. Knock wood, never had to, especially in a place like SIN.

Don't forget the silly Water and Gel Ban. Instead of being safely packed with my vitamins, I now have to pack my food supplement gelcaps in my Freedom Baggie. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing that if a TSA screener ever roughly inspects my baggie they may spend the rest of their shift smelling like cod liver oil.

Also: reinspect your first aid kit for contraband. When the Gel Ban started, I had to go through my little travel first aid kit and remove some gel cap form OTC meds and go buy some solid pill form versions of the same thing. Luckily several items that used to only come in gel form now come in solid tablets. Can I send the bill to Kip for the extra needness expense he caused me?

AonghasCrowe

My "blog" is a fictionalized account of the real consequences of trying to bring Dextroamphetamine (Adderall) and Methylphenidate (Ritalin) into Japan.

http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com/

This entry deals specifically with the laws involved.

http://aonghascrowe.wordpress.com/20...e-for-jokes-”/

Long story short: if the idea of spending a month or more in a windowless cell, held incommunicado, is your idea of a fun time, by all means do try to bring your Adderall into Japan.

thegeneral

I would check with the local laws. Bring a prescription with you and probably bring only the amount that you would use. In general, it's a good idea to avoid countries with crazy laws around drugs and alcohol. There are plenty of sane places to visit in this world. Leave the crazy ones to the crazies.

Athena53

I've traveled through innumerable airports since Freedom Baggie rules were instututed- 75,000 miles in all in 2008- and never had a problem with my fish oil capsules until last year at MAD. They insisted I take them out and put them through separately. Yeah, whatever. I'm about to leave for a 3-week trip next week and usually I just stash all my vitamins and supplements (all non-prescriptions, no controlled substances) in a plastic bag in my carry-on. It's gonna look like a pharmaceutical convention. Better put most of them in my checked bag.

cefni

Oh gosh this thread has got me thinking about the meds i have to take via doctors prescription & where dom i put it checked or hand luggage travelling form uk to u.s.athese are them MIRTAZAPINE 15mgs & TEMAZEPAM 15mgs also paracetamol tabs does any on eknow the answer please

Athena53

Always take what you need for the trip and maybe a day or two extra in your carry-on. I prefer to take all pills/medicines in my carry-on to make sure they get there. (I read somewhere that meds are a favorite target of thieves who work as baggage-handlers- presumably the ones with high street value such as heavy pain meds.) Keep everything in their original containers with the prescription label with your name on it and you should be fine.

jpatokal

No. To go by the rules, you have to inform the Health Sciences Authority and obtain an advance permission (at least 10 days prior) to import any "Controlled Substances" legally.

http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsapor...edication.html
http://www.hsa.gov.sg/publish/hsapor...ubstances.html

It's a hassle, and it's highly unlikely that you'd be "caught" if you didn't do this -- I've lived here 7 years, gone through Customs probably hundreds of times, and they've never checked my medicines -- but given the potential consequences, you'd be a fool not to do this.

And yes, Japan is even more crazy about this: even pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is on their controlled list!

AAaLot

I have been to all of these countries with controlled medications and honestly I have wondered the same. I have taken the attitude that no one is going to bother a middle aged man that is obviously taking the medication for real reasons. However, the question has always been in the back of my mind.

If you do ask permission as listed above please do post back. I am curious.

jpatokal

The minimum penalty for unauthorized importation of any quantity of a Class A drug like amphetamine into Singapore is 5 years in jail plus 5 strokes of the rotan. Feeling lucky?

http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_versi...7125305-001819

I don't think any country in the world takes drugs quite as seriously as Singapore. A friend of mine, a French citizen but of Arab extraction, is regularly stopped at Changi for urinalysis -- and if he were caught, it wouldn't make a whit of difference if that pot had been smoked perfectly legally in AMS.

Oh, I have no doubt that the permission would be granted, and the HSA site even says that as long as you have it, you don't even need to declare your drugs at Customs unless stopped.