Last updated : December 2, 2024
We’re all but in the midst of the holiday season. If you’re flying this year, hopefully, the flights were booked in advance so you could get the best ticket price. Do you have prescription meds to take along? Millions of people need daily medications to maintain their blood pressure, manage pain, or a host of other reasons.
Of course, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is aware of that fact. The administration has rules for traveling with prescription meds that allow the public to travel with everything they need to ensure their health regimens aren’t interrupted. However, there are some restrictions too. Becoming familiar with them could save you a headache passing through airport security this holiday season.
To grandmother’s house, we go
When flying within the country to visit relatives or to take the family on a holiday retreat, the following restrictions apply:
- There is no limit on the amount of medication that you can bring on a plane when it’s in a solid form, such as pills.
- The TSA doesn’t limit the number of medications you can bring.
- It’s important to note that if you travel with an unusual number of prescription medications, running your bag through an x-ray machine will likely suffice, however, you could be subject to additional screening.
- If you choose not to have your medications exposed to an x-ray, speak to a TSA agent. They will allow you to go through another type of screening, however, it will take more time and may require opening all medication bottles.
- The TSA doesn’t enforce the liquids rule for medically required liquids, gels, and aerosols. This includes not having to put medically required liquids into a liquids bag.
- There are limitations on liquid medication though. You are asked only to bring “reasonable quantities.”
- The TSA only allows certain items to be in your carry-on when it has been declared. The medication must be required during your flight, at your travel destination, or both.
- Having a signed doctor’s note can speed up the process.
Packing for the trip
Medication can be stored in your carry-on bag or checked baggage. However, if it’s something you may need should your flight be delayed for any reason, it’s a good idea to make room for it in your carry-on. Another reason to consider keeping your medication with you is the reality of lost luggage. We just never know when it’s going to happen and it could be difficult to get refills over the holidays.
It’s a good idea to pack your medication in an easily accessible area should you need to declare it or allow inspection if requested. Placing your prescriptions or over-the-counter (OTC) medicine in a clear plastic bag—Ziplocs are a traveler’s friend—makes for handy access.
Refrigerated medication is allowed and you may pack it in ice packs, freezer packs, or gel packs to keep it cool. You need to present it at a screening checkpoint in a frozen or partially frozen state.
You can’t fly with medical marijuana in the United States because it remains illegal at the federal level.
It’s important to note that while the TSA doesn’t require that pills be in a prescription bottle or that you need to have a copy of your prescription in hand, some states do have these requirements. It’s a good idea to either keep your pills in a prescription bottle labeled by the pharmacy or to check ahead with the state you will be traveling to.
Traveling out of the country
Of course, visiting family and other holiday destinations isn’t limited to the United States! However, rules and regulations regarding traveling with medications vary greatly in other countries. We recommend checking ahead to ensure you don’t run into a hassle upon arrival. Keeping your medication in its original packaging, having a copy of your prescription list downloaded from your MyChart, and a doctor’s note with you is the best action plan.
Lost luggage is also an issue when traveling abroad. It might be best to keep all your medications in your carry-on.
Additionally, the Consumer Affairs site specifically lists the following restrictions:
European Union: You can carry non-solid medicines in quantities over 100ml, packed in transparent plastic bags. Be prepared to prove the authenticity with documentation.
United Kingdom (Great Britain, Ireland, Wales, Scotland): Passengers need a prescription with their name or a medical statement for liquid, gel, or aerosol medications over 100ml.
Canada: You’re free to travel with non-prescription and prescription liquids, gels, and creams in quantities over 100ml, with relevant documentation from your doctor.
Flying with controlled drugs and medical marijuana
Things can get dicey when traveling with controlled substances, such as opioids and narcotics.
These drugs aren’t allowed in the United Kingdom (UK) without a license. Have a UK-based doctor or pharmacist hook you up with a prescription so you can obtain one upon arrival.
You must obtain a Schengen certificate to travel with heavy painkillers, ADHD medications, sleeping pills, and anxiety drugs in the European Union (EU). The Schengen certificate is valid for 30 days. You should be able to get one in advance from your doctor. Some places in the EU—such as Amsterdam and Germany, for example—look the other way regarding marijuana possession, you just can’t take it with you when you leave.
Canada requires that you secure a doctor’s letter or carry a valid prescription for controlled substances. They also have limits on the amount of medication allowed on planes. Depending on the medication, they are single treatments, 30-day, or 90-day supplies. You can fly domestically in Canada with marijuana but may not take it out of the country.
Prohibited meds
Some medications allowed here in the United States aren’t welcome in other countries.
Examples are:
- Adderall, an ADHD treatment, is banned in Japan. If you are caught with it in your possession, you could be arrested and detained. Other countries you don’t want to have it in are Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE), some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and Southeast Asian countries including Thailand and Indonesia.
- Ambien is a sedative that is banned in Singapore. This drug requires a special license to have it in your possession in the UAE.
- The painkiller, codeine, is banned or restricted in many foreign countries.
- Even OTC medications are restricted in some places. Pseudoephedrine, found in cold and allergy medications isn’t allowed in many countries because it may be used in illegal drug manufacturing. Diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, is regulated in some countries, Japan is one of them.
It’s best to check with the embassy website before taking medications into a foreign country. Another resource is the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB). However you find out, know the medication regulations before you travel. Obtain any necessary paperwork before you go. Most importantly, avoid taking medications on your trip that could land you in hot water when you arrive.
