For normal domestic travel, how you pack your medications shouldn’t be a problem — at least, not to Transportation Security Administration agents.
“TSA does not search for any drugs or medications,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told me.
So if you want to store your medications in Tupperware, plastic bags or containers for each day of the week, “that’s all fine,” she says.
But there are some nuances.
For example, if you’re traveling with a strictly “controlled drug” like morphine, Xanax or Ritalin, “you might want to bring a prescription,” Farbstein said, “but again, that’s not what we’re looking for.”
If the TSA finds a suspicious bag, such as a large amount of pills, “they can call the police and have it re-screened,” Farbstein added. Technically there is no limit Depends on how much medicine you can pack.
There are other things to be aware of besides the TSA. If you are traveling to a state with strict controlled substance laws, such as Texas, Getting into trouble If you are caught by police in possession of prescription drugs out of their original containers.
The advice changes if you’re travelling internationally – each country has its own rules. FranceFor example, you can only bring in the amount of medication you need for the duration of your trip. If you have more than a three-month supply of medication, you must bring a doctor’s prescription. In Japan, you may not be able to bring any medication at all. “Many common or over-the-counter medications in the United States are illegal in Japan, regardless of whether you have a valid U.S. prescription,” she says. US Embassy warnsCold medicines like Sudafed and ADD/ADHD medications (Adderall) are also prohibited.
Wherever you go, check embassy and government travel websites before traveling.
One last helpful tip: Jonathan O. Dean, a spokesman for Baltimore-Washington International Airport, offers this: Don’t check your medications in with your luggage. Instead, bring them in your carry-on or personal items, so you don’t end up without your prescription if your luggage gets lost.
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