medications and Travel Question

[susiestar]

I have to travel to take Jessie to the doctor. I will be taking her medications in bottles, as well as her pill box.

I also need to take my medications. I can never decide if I should just take my pillbox or if I need to take each medicine in it's bottle to have the rx label.

If for some reason we are pulled over and they want to look in my bag these medications could spark a huge problem. Many of them are controlled. Is it better to have the bottles since just the labels would not help the cop know what they are.


What would you do?

Do I watch too many CSI type shows?

 

[gcvmom]

Best to take the bottles when you travel like that. Just get a big Ziploc gallon bag for each of you. Bring your pill boxes too, but this way you have proof that they're yours. Plus, if anything were to happen to you (God forbid an accident or anything), there is a record of what you're carrying with you and no one has to guess if you were incapacitated. Know what I mean??

 

[DammitJanet]

You can get an extra pill bottle printed out from the pharmacy with the label on it for such occasions. Or...do you save pill bottles from when you get new pills so you have empties? Or just go get the printout from the pharmacy saying what you take and then keep that with you.

I dont take my entire months worth of pills with me when I go out of town. Just wont do it. Like I am leaving next weekend to go to Jamies and expect to be gone one week. I will take one week's worth plus two days in case we stay over that. I leave the rest home locked up. I just get small pill bottles from the pharmacy with labels or I take the printouts.

 

[Mattsmom277]

I think Janet's got the best plan. I would think it isn't worth the risk you may leave a whole supply of a medication behind. Or they get stolen or something. One never knows when travelling! Great to think ahead about having them labelled to a degree, but not so great if they disappear. There is replacement cost if that happens, and if they are controlled medications, you may not be allowed to refill even if lost or stolen etc. I'd say that Janet has the right idea. I'm sure the police are accustomed to seeing people travelling with medications. Travel safely!

 

[Marguerite]

If we're travelling for more than overnight, we pack a medications bag for the family, that has the prescription-labelled boxes in it. Otherwise I just carry medication foils, or an old pill bottle of difficult child 3's which has the label on it, but we've re-packed with a mix of short-acting and long-acting medications, solidly packed in firmly with cotton wool to avoid the pills rattling around and turning to dust.

I figure if anyone pulls us over and queries it all, we DO have the boxes etc at home plus we only use one pharmacy and I have his phone number in my head (as well as on the labels). A simple phone call will prove our legitimacy. But to take whole boxes of all the medications out of the house would mean risking losing some or all as well as risk having it swiped. The bulk supply is more secure at home. Cops shoud be sympathetic to pre-loaded pill containers. People who abuse drugs usually carry much larger quantities.

Another alternative you could consider that we also do - have a letter form the doctor which lists your medical history as well as what medications you take. The cops can always telephone the doctor to make sure the letter is genuine. A letter takes up a lot less space than pill boxes and is of no value to anyone who breaks into your car or handbag wanting drugs.

Marg

 

[Fran]

I travel quite a bit. I usually take the number of pills plus 2 extra doses. I don't particularly concern myself with the bottles or labels. If the police question it, they are free to call the doctor or pharmacy. You are doing nothing illegal. They are prescribed and they will check it out. It's no one else's business what your pills are and why you use them.
Most pharmacy's are computer based. I refill my prescriptions in 3 different states over the course of a year. One pharmacy calls the other. You don't even really need the number. I don't even think about it anymore.

 

[graceupongrace]

When we get prescriptions filled, I save the empty bottle from the previous month to use for travel, so we always have correct dosage, instructions, etc. I pack for the number of days we'll be gone +2, so that if one drops down the sink or something, we're covered.

 

[Josie]

I would take the pills in the pill box along with the prescription bottles. In my Lyme support group, a member was arrested and taken to jail for having his pain medications without the bottle or prescription. Supposedly, it is still on his record since he was actually guilty of not carrying proof that it was his.
I heard this from his mother who wanted all of us to be sure this didn't happen to us.

This happened in a county near me that is known for its very zealous police officers, but why take a chance on this happening to you. Better safe than sorry.

 

[DammitJanet]

I have worried about getting stopped with my pain medications before when I have a few just in my purse. Like one or two. I do that when I am around the house and just going to be out for the day. I figure they can call my pharmacy.

I really dont worry as much about getting arrested up in VA at Jamies because he does know the cops...lol. I can get my prescription printout from the nationwide pharmacy if its a problem up there and they can see they are my pills plus he can pull strings if needed. I dont think they would arrest me. I am not taking extremely strong pills.

 

[Shari]

I keep an empty bottle of each prescription in a baggie. While we travel with the pill box, we just grab the baggie and we've got all the info with us without risking a medication screw-up or losing the whole thing.

 

[witzend]

I always keep at least one empty bottle of everything for when I need to travel. I put as many as I will need for the trip plus one or two in the old bottle and leave the rest at home locked up in the safe. That way I can carry them anywhere I want because they are in their original bottles.

 

[totoro]

We always have an extra bottle in our car for mine and K's medications just in case we get stuck some where.

We keep our refill bottle. When we travel we do like Fran does, take enough for the trip and then bring enough for a few days extra. I like leaving the rest at home just in case they get lost on the road or flying.
I have traveled with not script and with one. I have never had a problem either way.
When flying they say they want you to have them. So I do.
Driving I carry our psychiatrist's card... but now I usually just have an extra bottle.

 

[mstang67chic]

I'm pretty tired and haven't read all of the previous responses but...

When difficult child spends the night somewhere, I will give him his medications in the pill bottles but ONLY the amount he needs plus one dose, just in case. The rest I put in ziplock baggies at home (if I don't have extra bottles) with all of the info written on the bag. difficult child's name, the total medication name/description, dose instructions, mg's, Rx #, refills if any...everything. I don't want him running around with an entire month's worth to lose or get stolen but I don't want him running around with a baggie full of unmarked pills either. If we travel together, I will usually take it all but if you are uncomfortable with that, I would leave some at home in extra bottles. As I think other's have said....you can get extra labeled bottles from the pharmacy. Whatever you do though, DEFINATELY have the medications in officially labeled bottles. If you are stopped or if there is an accident, there won't be any question of "illegal" pills in your possession and/or with the labels, anyone who would need to know, WILL know who takes what. Put them all in a lockable box if you want (craft/sewing box, tackle box, etc. with a small luggage type lock) but take them marked.