Medicine and Customs

We’re visiting later on this year.

My wife has a number of medications she takes and we’ve heard that there can be ‘difficulties’ taking medicine through US customs/airport?

How can we prevent any issues?

We’ve never had an issue, but you can go to your pharmacist and ask for extra bottles with the prescription details on it and take only what you’ll need on vacation. I think that’s the key… having the prescription details with you. You can also ask your doctor if he/she thinks you’ll need a letter or perhaps something else while on your vacation.

Also, make sure you aren’t taking anything that would be considered contraband. ie: remember those Border Security shows where people would show up at the border with marijuana and say it was their medicine? It was still confiscated and they could be charged.

We had no issues bringing DH’s various medications in from the UK.

I’ve never had any issues at Customs coming into the US from Canada. I make sure all my bottles/containers are labeled clearly with the prescription information and I store everything together in one bag in my carry on luggage so that at security/customs I can easily remove it. I know we don’t have to, but when putting luggage through the scanners I always take the bag out of my carry on so that it is easily accessible if officers need to take a closer look.
With epi pens, inhalers and anti anxiety meds, I’m not carrying anything out of the ordinary, and have never had any trouble.

I just took a group of students to France. We told them to have their medicines in the original container with an up to date prescription on the bottle (no expired prescriptions). You do not have to mention the medication to the TSA or customs agent unless you are carrying on liquid bottles larger than the usual 3.4 ounce bottles. Larger bottles of liquid medications are allowed but you must notify the agent for further inspection BEFORE you send your bag through the metal detector / x-ray machine. When returning to the US, there were no questions about medication directed towards anyone in our group (19 people).