Can I fly with loose medication?
Never check your medications with your luggage. Bring it with you in your carry-on bag or personal item instead. Credit: Getty Images/Helin Loik-Tomson
Q: Can I fly with prescription medication without carrying the entire bottle? — Megan, Washington, D.C.
A: If you’re going on your standard domestic jaunt, it doesn’t matter how you pack your meds. Not to Transportation Security Administration officers, at least.
"TSA is not looking for any drugs or medications," agency spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told me.
So, if you want to throw your pills in Tupperware, plastic baggies, days-of-the-week containers, "that’s all OK," she said.
But there are a few nuances.
If you’re traveling with a tightly "controlled drug," like morphine, Xanax or Ritalin, for example, "you might want to bring a prescription," Farbstein said. "But again, that’s not something we’re looking for at all."
If TSA comes across a suspicious-looking haul, maybe a large volume of pills, "they could notify law enforcement to have a second look," Farbstein added. However, there’s technically no limit to the amount of medication you can pack.
Beyond TSA, be aware: If you’re traveling in a state with strict controlled-substance laws, like Texas, you could end up in trouble if you’re caught by law enforcement while carrying prescription medication outside the original container.
The advice changes if you’re traveling abroad. Every country has its own rules. In France, for example, you’re limited to bringing the amount of medication you’ll need for your trip. If you have more than a three-month’s supply on you, you need to bring the prescription from your doctor. In Japan, you might not be able to bring some meds at all. "Many common medications and over-the-counter drugs in the United States are illegal in Japan, regardless of whether you have a valid U.S. prescription," the U.S. Embassy warns. Even medications for colds, like Sudafed, and for ADD/ADHD (Adderall) are forbidden.
Wherever you’re going, check embassy and government websites for travelers ahead of your trip.
One last thing. Jonathan O. Dean, a spokesperson for the Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport, reminded me of a helpful tip: Never check your medications with your luggage. Bring it with you in your carry-on bag or personal item instead. You don’t want to get stuck without your prescriptions in the case of a lost-luggage fiasco.
