Will my stash stay safe?

January 6, 2016 8:10 AM

Will TSA confiscate my emergency pain med pill box?

After the crazy year we've had, my wife and I have decided to take my cousin up on his offer and fly out to San Francisco for a week. Yay! Meetup?

I've had a couple of back surgeries over the years, and have become accustomed to always carrying a stash of my prescription pain meds in a small plastic pill box on my person.

It comes in handy if I'm away from home and somehow stress my back to where the pain is intolerable. Most of the time, a couple of OTC pills will help me through it, but there are also (blessedly few) times when nothing but the big guns (hydrocodone or gabapentin) are going to get me through the pain. A few hours on a plane could very well do it to me.

My main concern is that, during screening, TSA will confiscate my stash. I have prescriptions for the meds, but, of course, carrying the bottles on me is inconvenient. Usually, the stash is all I ever travel with, so I'm not planning on packing the bottles, anyway. I'm especially concerned about the hydrocodone, given the current atmosphere surrounding opioid use.

So, what's the best course here? How best to handle my meds so that they stay with me through the trip? Or, am I worrying about nothing?

posted by Thorzdad to Travel & Transportation (29 answers total)

I've been in a similar boat over the past year and I feel like it's just not safe to have them out of the prescription bottle. The chances of it being an issue are small but real. Have your wife stash the bottles in her purse for the flight portion of the trip.
posted by something something at 8:13 AM on January 6, 2016 [20 favorites]

I've carried various pills with me in bottles that were not the original prescription ones and have never ever had a problem. They don't even look at them, let alone ask. Maybe I've been lucky but it's really never been an issue. I guess you could see if you can get a printed copy of your prescription to be super careful but I strongly suspect that this is just not an issue.
posted by lydhre at 8:16 AM on January 6, 2016 [6 favorites]

YMMV, but I've also never had TSA go into my pillboxes. (I travel for work a lot and fly at least once a month domestically, both short and long-haul flights.) That said, I like lydhre's idea to bring a printed copy of the prescription for your peace of mind.
posted by smirkette at 8:19 AM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Though it might be different if by "on your person" you mean in your pocket rather than in a carry-on bag. I was assuming a travel bag of some sort, with other things in it, like books or iPads or a sweater, etc.

Just pills in basket with your phone and wallet going through the scanner might garner more attention than is necessary.
posted by lydhre at 8:19 AM on January 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

Bring a small bag (Flying without at least a book? Madness!) Bring the prescription bottles. It's better to be overly cautious about that sort of thing with controlled substances, and it's more comfortable to fly without a bunch of crap in your pockets.

Besides, a bag makes it easier to pack an empty water bottle that you can fill once you're past security. Swallowing pills dry is a bad idea and if you're hurting you don't want to have to wait for the flight attendant to come by with the drink cart.
posted by asperity at 8:21 AM on January 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

I always travel with a box of random pills in my purse - mostly not prescription, though most of them don't look classically OTC either - but nobody's ever even looked in my purse, it goes through the machine and that's that. Put them in your carry-on or your wife's purse.

I've never seen TSA pull anyone for it either. They have a very specific mandate, and drugs aren't it. Now, if you're going through customs, yes - pills in bottle and copy of prescription, especially opioids.

(This is assuming you are not a member of a marginalized group, of course. If you're committing the offense of not being white, having an obvious disability, or at all deviant from gender norms, you'll be wanting the original packaging and a copy of the scrip.)
posted by Lyn Never at 8:21 AM on January 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I fly a couple or three times a year, sometimes internationally, always with prescription pills outside of their prescription bottles, and have never had a problem. Maybe I'm lucky, but I think that practically speaking, you should be fine.

That being said, the TSA's guidelines do recommend keeping your prescription meds in the original bottle.

So, what I might do if I were concerned, would be to take pictures of the pills beside the original bottle, and also have electronic copies of those "prescription info sheets" that you get when you get refills. If you want to be REALLY paranoid, have hard copies of the pictures, but having them on your phone is probably fine.
posted by sparklemotion at 8:21 AM on January 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think it's extremely unlikely that the TSA will give you a hard time about a dozen Vicodins, but it could be worth decanting them into a rx bottle with your name on it for peace of mind.

Even their official guidelines just say that labeling your meds is "recommended," not required.

For the most part they're looking for bombs, not drugs.
posted by theodolite at 8:22 AM on January 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

I am on seven different daily medications, and I take them with me (pain medication included, though it's the type of "license required," it's on the low scale of things) in a big jumble in one large pill container, and leave it in my carry-on, and I've never had anyone take even a moment's glance at it.
posted by xingcat at 8:23 AM on January 6, 2016 [3 favorites]

I just took 3 flights with some gabapentin pills in an Altoids box (that I forgot was in my carry-on), along with the actual prescription bottle full of pills. I had no trouble in screening, but still would keep the pills in their prescription bottle if I was afraid of confiscation - if there's a non-zero chance of being hassled, do you really want to risk it? If getting a printout of your prescription doesn't work and you're adamant about having no carry-ons, perhaps you could ask the pharmacy for a smaller prescription pill bottle you could stick in your pocket with enough pills for your trip (I'm assuming your regular bottles are as honking huge as mine)?
posted by DingoMutt at 8:24 AM on January 6, 2016

Why take any chance at all? Flying is enough of a hassle. Bring your empty emergency box along with the prescription bottle with your pills in them. When you get to SF, put them back into your emergency box so you can walk around with them. And then do it all over again on the way home.
posted by clone boulevard at 8:25 AM on January 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

Your pharmacy will provide you with the smallest, properly labeled pill bottle they have, usually at no charge. Have I ever had a problem bringing pills on a flight? No. But, you're in a situation where it would stress you to not have them (mentally and physically) so why take the chance? Call your pharmacy, explain that you need a tiny, tiny labeled bottle and be at peace. Safe journey!!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 8:28 AM on January 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

When I travel, I always have either a prescription level pain killer with me or a valium or something to make me sleep and mellow out for the flight. Friggin big pieces of steel should not be in the air. Anyway, I never bring the prescription bottle. I have them in a daily pill case. I have never ever been questioned. I would put that pill case in my carry on valise and not think twice about it. In fact, I usually have one or two in my coin pocket of my pants. Do not worry about it, but if you are, ask doctor or pharmacy for a copy of your script.
posted by AugustWest at 8:29 AM on January 6, 2016

I travel all the time for work and having all my bottles is a major headache. I have special pill boxes and I keep my meds in them. TSA doesn't bat an eye.

If you like, take pictures with your phone of your Rx bottles (I do this), but I seriously doubt it will be an issue.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:30 AM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I do this all the time (flew ~20 times this year) and have never, ever had a problem. So, so, many people use those plastic daily pill boxes now that TSA would be seriously overloaded if they searched each and every one. They aren't concerned about this -- all they care about are weapons and bombs.
posted by hapax_legomenon at 8:33 AM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

No pain meds, but I have travelled with regular daily meds for blood pressure etc. in one of those drug store plastic daily pill cases in my purse, and it was never even looked at or questioned. I would say get one of these, put your pills in it, and put it in your carry on bag.
posted by mermayd at 8:36 AM on January 6, 2016

I carry unmarked Ziploc baggies of prescription and OTC pills in my carry-on all the time. TSA has never, ever even asked to look at them, let alone confiscate them.
posted by joan_holloway at 9:06 AM on January 6, 2016

You just carry that one pillbox? Unless you carry a few hundred pills, or you wrote "MDMA" on the outside, you'll be fine. I fly with a pillbox all the time. They're OTC, but out of the bottle, there's no way to tell. It'll just look like you brought some Motrin.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:39 AM on January 6, 2016

My wife's experience matches joan_holloway's. She packs each day's pills into little individual Ziploc baggies and no one has ever even asked her about them.
posted by JaredSeth at 9:40 AM on January 6, 2016

I travel with all manner of medicine (including sometimes rando pills-in-ziploc) and it's a non-issue. Going to another country might be a thing, within the US it is not. If it were one of those "This is legal in some states but not in others" stuff (i.e. weed or edibles) I'd caution you to be more careful but a few pills in a pill container should be a non-issue. Safe travels.
posted by jessamyn at 10:37 AM on January 6, 2016

I very much doubt it will come up at all. I've travelled with meds in plastic bags (sometimes with the rx from the bottle ripped off the bottle and attached to the bag) and have never had them searched or even been questioned about it.

Also, the security people at SFO aren't actually TSA. I NEVER have my bag searched or have additional screening there. When I fly out of Charlotte, Oakland or Sacramento, they will nearly always search my bag. Usually because of having food in my bag. Apparently their machines think a bag of popcorn or a rice krispie treat is a bomb.
posted by guster4lovers at 10:38 AM on January 6, 2016

As others have said take a copy of your script. That is what my mother, who is on a lot of meds but loves to travel. Was advised to do & she has never had any problems. Also if you are checking a bag with meds in, include a copy of any relevant prescriptions in with them in case the TSA open the bag.
posted by wwax at 11:01 AM on January 6, 2016

I recently traveled overseas and had in my carry-on bag a plastic pill box with unlabeled pills in it. OTC basics like sudafed and tylenol in my particular case, but unmarked random looking pills to be sure. It got no notice from TSA or any security protocol in any of the 6 airports I was in over the course of my trip. I've also carried things like birth control pills on many a flight, to no ill effect.

I would ideally carry the prescription bottles for any pills that might be controlled substances. Or maybe take photos you can show the TSA if there are questions?
posted by Sara C. at 11:16 AM on January 6, 2016

I carry pills in a tackle box all the time. I've never had a problem.
posted by arnicae at 12:08 PM on January 6, 2016

I have never, ever had a TSA agent even glance at the contents of my pillbox of mixed medications. Which has often included both Percocet and Adderall.
posted by desuetude at 12:34 PM on January 6, 2016

I know people who fly with pot in their luggage routinely. TSA is looking for bombs, not your pills. I think you will be fine as long as you aren't packing anything else sketchy to prompt them to open up your suitcase.
posted by AppleTurnover at 8:52 PM on January 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

I used to work for the TSA.

Others are correct- there is no mandate to look for people carrying drugs they shouldn't.

The only time the drugs might be a problem is if they find something else in your bag, and call over the local law enforcement, and then the local law enforcement wants to know what is up with your drugs.

Hydrocodone is a Schedule II drug. A cop friend told me that if I had a prescription for a Schedule IV drug (which is not as "bad" as a Schedule II drug) that I should carry it in the prescription bottle just as a normal thing.

I would strongly recommend carrying the prescription bottle on this trip, just in case. Even so, carrying your usual set up should be fine (as long as you put the drugs through the X-ray and not keep them on your person).

Does it mean that you will have no hiccups? Fuck no. I saw my former coworkers call bag checks on the dumbest things sometimes. I did it myself- that's how you learn what things look like on an X-ray machine. Plus you never know who is having a bad day, or what intel brief they received, or what alignment of the planets mean you will receive additional screening.
posted by Monday at 12:53 AM on January 7, 2016

I take gabapentin every day (migraine preventive) and I've traveled with it in a weekly pillbox mixed in with my other meds in my carryon, and no one's ever even asked. (I am a middle-class white girl though.) Now, the few times I've traveled with a kilt pin (just a giant safety pin style, not a dagger style) in my bag for my scarves, I've gotten stopped so they could look at it. But never the meds.
posted by dust.wind.dude at 10:20 AM on January 7, 2016

Many pharmacies give you a printout of the prescription along with the bottles, you can take that with you. Since it's not legal to posses those drugs unless they are prescribed for you, this could save you some hassles if non-TSA law enforcement is taking an interest in the airport screenings.
posted by yohko at 12:16 PM on January 7, 2016