Tips For Traveling With Medications

A vacation sounds so wonderful, so dreamy, like so much fun. Until you come back to reality. Remembering vacations aren’t so easy and you aren’t as free spirited as they once were. You can’t just pick up and go at the drop of a hat anymore. For most of us we have to be super picky with the locations and the time of the year. A vacation honestly seems like a lot of work that we don’t have the energy to use.

Time away from home or even a vacation will come eventually and we deserve it when it does. Because I know so many of you reading this are like me and haven’t hardly left the neighborhood, or the city where you reside. Much less the state or country. So we are out of practice. We haven’t had to think about packing up our medications for quite awhile. That said, let’s look at some tips on safely and legally traveling with our medication.

Tips for travel with medications

Keep your medications in their bottles

I know this one seems easy and you’re thinking why would you even mention it. But I know some, maybe a lot, myself included have put my pills into my weekly planner and threw them in my carry on. But this is a bad habit and can get you in trouble.

Did you know that you can actually be arrested in the United States if you are pulled over and the officer decides to search the car for whatever reason and find a bunch of pills in baggies or an organizer without any original bottles?

Keep medication in your carry on bag

The CDC¹ encourages all medications go in your carry-on instead of your checked bag just in case luggage is lost. This is your insurance policy to having all your meds with you all the time.

Keep all medications in their original bottles

The CDC¹ and Customs and Border Patrol² says all meds need to be in their original bottles with label readable. This goes for OTC medications as well as prescription meds.

Keep a back-up prescription handy

If you know you are going to be out of town when one of your meds will run out that you ask your physician for a written/paper prescription to carry with you and fill while you are gone.

Travel with enough or extra medication

With the delays we constantly see these days it is also a really good idea to travel with enough for a few extra days just in case you extend your trip, or it is extended. It’s good to travel with OTC medications, especially if going outside the country. Because you never know what may be in the meds you buy there.

Don't forget OTC medications

Tylenol/ibuprofen, Benadryl, antacids like Imodium (especially if going somewhere like Mexico where you can’t drink the water), motion sickness meds, cold meds, laxatives, and sleep aids.

Wear a medical alert bracelet

This may not be a medication but you should always be wearing a med alert bracelet whether you are walking down the road or going on vacation. God forbid something happens and you are unconscious the paramedics need to know what health issues you have and who to call.