Key takeaways

Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider before traveling to ensure you have enough medication and understand how travel may affect it, and to obtain a doctor’s note detailing your medical conditions and prescriptions.
Pack all medications in your carry-on luggage to avoid loss and to maintain necessary temperature conditions, as the cargo hold is not temperature-controlled.
Familiarize yourself with TSA guidelines for traveling with medications, including the allowance for liquid medications and the requirement for medications to be in original packaging.
Consult with a healthcare provider about managing medication schedules across different time zones and inquire about necessary vaccines or preventive measures for your destination.

Planning a trip can be an exciting experience. However, if you take prescription medication, you may need to add a few steps to the planning process. It’s important to prepare properly for your trip in order to make sure your first stop off the flight isn’t at the pharmacy.

Knowing the rules of flying with medication, how you should store it, and the potential side effects of travel is just as important as knowing when your plane takes off.

What should I know about traveling with prescriptions?

Traveling with prescription drugs isn’t hard—but it does take proper planning and research. Here are five tips for flying with medications.

1. Take stock of your medications before you travel

Before your departure date, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. Prepare a list of questions about your medication, such as how travel may affect your medication. If you’re traveling internationally, be sure to research beforehand if your medication is permitted at your destination. If it’s not, your healthcare provider may need to prescribe an alternative.

The United States Department of State recommends obtaining a doctor’s note from your healthcare provider that details your medical conditions and any related prescriptions, so be sure to ask for this as well. Your provider should include both brand and generic names of your meds, and you should carry this letter with you while traveling abroad.

Finally, make sure you have enough medication for your trip’s duration and any unexpected travel delays. Your doctor or pharmacy can help with refills if you are not due.

2. Pack your medications in your carry-on

You never know when your flight might be delayed or your checked baggage could be lost. That’s why it’s important to keep your medications in your carry-on bag. Plus, many medications need to be kept temperature stable and the cargo hold is not temperature controlled.

If you’re worried about getting stopped at an airport security checkpoint when putting meds in your carry-on luggage, don’t be…

3. Review TSA guidelines for medications

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has requirements around liquid restrictions—but the standard 3.4-ounce limit does not apply to liquid medications. When you go through the screening process, tell the officer that you have medically necessary liquids (this includes prescription gels and creams) so they can perform additional screenings. You may be asked to open the container for liquids.

The same guidelines apply for injectable medications, but syringes must be unused—and accompanied by injectable medication. If you need to keep your medication cold, the TSA allows travelers to bring freezer packs on flights as long as they’re frozen solid at the time of screening.

4. Keep prescription and OTC medications in their original packaging

Pill organizers may be great for organizing your life at home, but you should skip them when you’re traveling and keep your prescription and over-the-counter medications in the labeled containers for a couple of reasons.

First, you can minimize any issues when flying into a foreign country or returning through U.S. customs if all your medications are in their original containers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that medication labels show your full name, your healthcare provider’s name, and the generic and brand name and exact dosage of your prescription.

Second, many prescription bottles provide ultraviolet light protection, which organizers or other storage methods may not provide.

“Some medications may be sensitive to light, moisture, or temperature changes,” says Rosmy Barrios, MD, a medical adviser for Health Reporter.

5. Have a plan for temperature control while traveling

If your medication needs to be stored at a specific temperature, talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about how they recommend you travel with it. Ice packs may be a good option to consider. Both air travel and your destination may expose your medications to extreme temperatures.

“Insulin, for instance, can lose its effectiveness if not stored properly,” says Kelvin Fernandez, MD, a healthcare educator at Ace Med Boards. “It’s crucial to plan ahead and ensure you have access to the right facilities to store such medications while you’re on the move.”

How to stay healthy when traveling

In addition to making sure you get to your destination with your medication—it’s important to keep in mind how to stay healthy during your vacation.

“Travelers who take medications on a regular schedule should be aware of the potential impact on their regimen,” Dr. Barrios says. “Consulting with a healthcare provider prior to travel can provide valuable guidance on managing medication schedules during time zone changes.”

If you’re going a long distance (say, from Omaha to Oslo) speak with your healthcare provider about the best way to adjust your medication schedule to match the new time zone.

While you’re speaking with your provider, ask about what vaccines or other preventive measures they might recommend for your area. Depending on your destination, you could be at risk for diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid, and yellow fever—or something as simple as traveler’s diarrhea. For anything where there isn’t a vaccine or prophylactic available, your doctor may be able to prescribe antibiotics or anti-nausea meds to have on hand, just in case.

The ideal vacation will go off without a hitch: No hiccups through customs, no stomach bugs. But it’s always better to be prepared and have what you need on hand.