Airline travel with extra pills?

[afraidofsurgery]

Anyone carry extra coumadin in a pillbox on an airplane lately? The new security restrictions were only letting you take on presciption bottles w/ your name on it, and this is pretty inconvenient. I can't figure out if a small pillbox with extra supplies is acceptable these days or not

Patty

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Patty,

I travel extensively by air, and take all my medications with me.

I take my original prescription bottles, with my pills inside them, as well as my pill box with my weekly pills in them as well. I take these on board with me. I never check my medications because of the possibility of the airline losing my luggage. However, I only take my critical prescription medications on board. I do check my vitamins, Tylenol, etc. with my checked luggage.

I also take my ProTime INR Home Testing Unit onto the plane with me.

The medications I do take on board, I keep in a plastic ziploc bag, just in case they want to take a look. But, I have not once been checked for my pills, and I travel overseas several times a month.

I have noticed that each airport and country is different. For example, I find flying in and out of London to be the most scrutinizing. But still... no check or questions from them about my medications.

I think the way I described above as to how to carry them, will be fine. Unless that is, you are taking liquid medications. In this case, try to keep the bottle less than 3 ounces, or have proof, such as the original prescription bottle to be able to show it is medically necessary.

You can also checkout the TSA, (Transportation Security Administration), website for the rules.

http://www.tsa.gov/

Happy Travels....

Rob

 

[catwoman]

Patty:

I've never had problems flying with any Rxes in my carry-on luggage. In fact, I'm about to head for Dallas-Fort Worth to fly to judge a cat show in Phoenix, Arizona, this weekend.

I do have a 60ml bottle of clindamycin solution (for scratches, bites) that I have to run separately through security. But the box has an Rx label on it and I have a written Rx from my PCP authorizing me to carry OTC & Rx antibiotics and "any necessary" first-aid items in cabin because of a mechanical heart valve.

Never had any problem at all. And like Rob, I've flown with my ProTime & testing supplies and not any problem with that.

A friend -- who is a TSA screener at the Seattle (SEA) Airport -- has an insulin pump and she gave a screener at some other airport holy you-know-what because the screener wanted her to DISCONNECT!!!!!! the pump. She was traveling for leisure so she pulled out her TSA badge and called the other screener on the carpet w/ her supervisor. It's a no-no for anyone to require that an essential medical device to be disconnected.

 

[sue943]

As one who has flown in UK in recent months, and they are the strictest at present... I was able to take all my medication (8 different drugs) in my hand baggage. It is liquids they are more concerned about. Travelling from the UK airports you are only permitted to carry one piece of cabin baggage, so for women they need to put their handbag (purse) inside the larger piece of hand baggage.

 

[Guest]

I have flown a lot lately with my medications just in a weekly pill box. No prescription bottles or lables. All they seem interested in is that the liquids are not above whatever size bottle is the limit and that they are in a clear zip-lock bag no larger than 1 quart size.

Last Sunday the woman ahead of me had already checked her baggage and was trying to carry on large bottles of shampoo, lotion etc. She protested that they did not have much in them. But the standard is not how much is in them but how much the containers could hold. They took so much stuff from her than they had to get another trash container.

 

[catwoman]

When I went through security at DFW Airport earlier this evening, one man put a number of small vials -- vaccines maybe? -- in one of the small white hat-looking bowls that go through the security machines. Don't know what they were. No one batted an eye.
I had 2 quart-size bags that went in one of the white bowls -- one with my toiletries and the other with my Rx & OTC meds: 60ml of clindamycin solution, 2 small sample-size bottles of tylenol, 1 30-capsule Rx of amoxi, 1 35-cap Rx of acyclovir (to halt fever blisters in their tracks), a package of bandages, individual packets of triple antibiotic ointment, some gauze pads and some steri-strips. My PCP's note that accompanies all this states:

"PT should travel with triple antibiotic oint. due to mechanical heart valve & any other necessary first aid items OTC or RX"

I keep the original note in my purse, a photocopy with the meds.

My emergency warfarin is in my carry-on bag. Probably enough for 3-4 weeks, my guess.

If anyone ever challenges my need to carry any of this -- well, I guess I can let them see my St. Jude ID card & display my badge of courage down my sternum.

 

[lance]

Didn't have a problem

Didn't have a problem

Flew to the UK this past July from Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Advised the airline in advance, flight and departure dates and seat number that I would be taking my Coaguchek S and medical supplies in my hand luggage. Kept prescription meds in plastic bag.

No problem whatsoever. They wouldn't allow the pill splitter in hand luggage.

 

[Magic8Ball]

Had been thinking about this purely from the perspective of lost luggage and having enough med's with me for different scenarios. Normal baggage, hand luggage, scripts for replacements etc....never considered the security aspect...i suppose i could always take my top off and show the scar

Was also thinking of keeping some meds at work & in the car just in case i ever got stuck anywhere....does anyone else do this?

This struck home yesterday when i went to see my cardio for a 330pm appointment, was told he was running 45minutes late but he was actually running over two hours late!! so by the time i left it was just after 6pm which is the time i take my meds and i was 1/2 an hour from home....not a big delay i know but luckily i'd taken my meds with me incase he had any questions so i could take them dead on 6.

 

[catwoman]

Lance:

Don't understand about not allowing a pill splitter in carry-on luggage. Pill splitters -- at least the kind we use for veterinary pills -- are too insignificant to be used as weapons on anyone -- except a tablet.

Magic:

Don't worry about not taking your meds on the dot at 6 p.m.
I take my warfarin at breakfast -- that may be at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., even 9 a.m. And if I'm traveling and am on the West Coast of the U.S. (Pacific Time), breakfast may be 2 hours later than back home (Central Time). I don't worry about it.

I do keep a bottle of 1's, 2's and 10's in my desk at work -- because most of the time I refill my 7-day container during the workday. I keep extra in 3 different travel bags, at work & at home.

 

[lance]

Pill splitter--blade

Pill splitter--blade

Airline told me any blade whatever the length is considered a threat to air safety. Whoever thought utility blades (box cutters) would be used to hi-jack a plane?

Much simpler to split pills prior to flight and keep everyone happy.

Lance:

Don't understand about not allowing a pill splitter in carry-on luggage. Pill splitters -- at least the kind we use for veterinary pills -- are too insignificant to be used as weapons on anyone -- except a tablet.

Magic:

Don't worry about not taking your meds on the dot at 6 p.m.
I take my warfarin at breakfast -- that may be at 6 a.m., 7 a.m., even 9 a.m. And if I'm traveling and am on the West Coast of the U.S. (Pacific Time), breakfast may be 2 hours later than back home (Central Time). I don't worry about it.

I do keep a bottle of 1's, 2's and 10's in my desk at work -- because most of the time I refill my 7-day container during the workday. I keep extra in 3 different travel bags, at work & at home.

 

[lance]

Always carry warfarin

Always carry warfarin

I always carry 1 day's worth of warfarin in a small plastic container when I need to be away from home for most of the day.

Better safe than sorry with this drug.

Had been thinking about this purely from the perspective of lost luggage and having enough med's with me for different scenarios. Normal baggage, hand luggage, scripts for replacements etc....never considered the security aspect...i suppose i could always take my top off and show the scar

Was also thinking of keeping some meds at work & in the car just in case i ever got stuck anywhere....does anyone else do this?

This struck home yesterday when i went to see my cardio for a 330pm appointment, was told he was running 45minutes late but he was actually running over two hours late!! so by the time i left it was just after 6pm which is the time i take my meds and i was 1/2 an hour from home....not a big delay i know but luckily i'd taken my meds with me incase he had any questions so i could take them dead on 6.

 

[catwoman]

Airline told me any blade whatever the length is considered a threat to air safety. Whoever thought utility blades (box cutters) would be used to hi-jack a plane?

Much simpler to split pills prior to flight and keep everyone happy.

I have flown with a pill cutter in the U.S. No problem. Maybe the design is different here than elsewhere. The slicing area is soooo tiny that it would be difficult to do any damage.
Syringes can be a threat to safety too. Would be so easy for a person to inject a dangerous substance in a used vaccine vial, manufacture an Rx label, tape it to the vial and voila!

Heck, in the U.S. you can fly with scissors that have blades 4" or less. Can't remember if they have to be round-tipped or not. I saw that on the Transportation Safety Administration website last Thursday.

Yesterday I told a friend that there's too much testosterone in the world today. That's why we have wars, terrorists, etc., -- and all these security rules on what we can carry on flights. She agreed.
If women truly had the upper hand, all the world's problems would be solved at a spa, a women's tearoom, at a women's stock investment club meeting, etc. Just my $0.02 cents worth -- in every national currency in the world.