Packing someone else's medications OK?

[Mark in CA]

With all the crazy restrictions at airports these days, can anyone confirm that it's OK to pack some non-narcotic medications (Lipitor) for a friend in my checked baggage? Will be traveling from SFO to BUD via FRA.

[A2QFI]

How will anybody know if it is your hold baggage and, if they did, would they know it was not yours? I like an easy life but when I am asked if anybody could have interfered with my luggage I am tempted to give the truthful answer = "I don't know" but it isn't going to speed me thru security so I say that nobody has.

[Haven't a clue]

I carry Lipitor plus blood pressure tablets in my handbaggage out and back once a week with no problems whatsoever. So I can't see you having a problem.

[Mark in CA]

Probably just my paranoia in overdrive. I'm bringing the pills to a friend living in Budapest. The pills will be in a standard plastic prescription vile that will have my friend's name on it. Apparently, according to my friend, you can't get this stuff in Hungary.

Haven't a Clue: The difference is these aren't my pills. If they were, I would not have been concerned at all.

[Rwy in Sight]

I don't know what those pills are for but if they are in the original packaging why the security should care?


Rwy in Sight

[Capetonian]

If it's in your checked baggage this is not a security concern, but rather a customs matter in the unlikely event that customs on arrival look through your baggage.

Unless it's a restricted or prohibited import, there is no reason why there should be a problem. If it's something you can buy over the counter then in Hungary it's not likely to cause the slightest problem.

[matkat]

I fly through Dubai on a regular basis and have a lot of prescription medicine my wife always packs it for me but I also carry a copy of the prescription to be on the safe side.

[NRU74]

Apparently, according to my friend, you can't get this stuff in Hungary.You can get statins in most urban areas in Central Europe.Is Lipitor significantly cheaper in California ?
Is the original packaging sealed ? Did you see them packed ?
I'd be very wary of taking anything in the way of drugs, prescribed or not, that I didn't know the provenance of, and which wasn't for my own use.
There again I'm a suspicious b@stard.

[TSR2]

How will you answer the question 'Has anyone asked you to carry anything for them'.

A 'yes' may bring you aggro a plenty. A 'no' might play on your concience.

[Mark in CA]

I'd be very wary of taking anything in the way of drugs, prescribed or not, that I didn't know the provenance of, and which wasn't for my own use.

I understand your concern, but the person who will give these to me has been my neighbor and friend for more than 15 years, and I'm taking them to his 82 year old father, who I also know well. So I have no concern that they are anything other than what he says they are.

But Capetorian is, I believe, correct. It would seem this is more a customs matter than a security one. I'm not taking any quantity that would be considered anything other than for personal use. Just not my own personal use. But these are certainly not "over-the-counter" medications, they're prescription ones.

TSR2, I don't have any concern about that.

NRU74, statins may be available in Central Europe, but I don't know about Lipitor, specifically, as opposed to generics. I asked that of my neighbor, and he says you can't get Lipitor in Hungary. Who am I to argue?

Rwy in Sight, Lipitor is used to control blood cholesterol, which, if you know anything about Hungary and the typical diet there, is very apropos.

[WHBM]

How will you answer the question 'Has anyone asked you to carry anything for them'.

A 'yes' may bring you aggro a plenty. A 'no' might play on your concience.
Large quantities of items are carried by air passengers each day for soembody else. Approaching Christmas you find many, if not most, passengers taking family presents from several people in one country to those in another. And guess what - it has never been a problem, has it ?

If you answer "yes" to the "are you carrying anything for anybody else" question then you will be denied boarding. So the question might as well be worded instead "Do you want to be denied carriage, not get to see your family, and lose the fare you have paid as it is nonrefundable ? Answer yes or no".

[Pontius Navigator]

If I read this right, you are flying out of a US airport and you will have TSA2 locks on your hold baggage.

Now why do they make you do that? There is a high probabilty that your baggage may be opened.

[Peter Fanelli]

I wouldn't do it.
If there's an issue with it's legality in your destination country it's too late once you get to customs to claim innocence, you already imported it.
Even over the counter stuff can be dodgy, Codeine for example is freely available on the shelf in Australia, but you don't want to be caught with it in the USA.

[Mark in CA]

Pontius Navigator, nobody has said anything about locks on checked baggage. I never lock my checked baggage, mainly because I never put anything in there worth stealing, unless someone has an underwear fetish. And as far as I know, no one "makes" you put locks on your checked bags.

Peter Fanelli, generic substitutes for Lipitor (which is a fairly benign drug) are readily available in Hungary, and my neighbor has previously successfully "smuggled" supplies to his father. I don't believe there is any legality issue here in that sense. I guess sometimes the generics aren't exactly the same as the original, hence the need to bring these.

Amusing aside -- apparently all this talk about drugs and such in this thread seems to be driving the Google ads at the bottom of this web page to show ads for "chronic constipation."

[MPN11]

Locks? Having had a few cut off, and being reluctant to spend on TSA locks which may [or may not] be cut off anyway, I just use cable ties.

Enough to deter the quick thief, no more effective than something with a combination that will be cut off anyway - and who is going to steal my dirty laundry? Anything of real value is with me in the cabin.

[Pontius Navigator]

Mark, A2QFI suggested hold baggage would not be searched. I was saying that from a US airport it may well be searched hence the TSA2 locks or no locks. I like the tie-lock idea.

[MPN11]

I like the tie-lock idea.

Not only that, in an unlocked side pocket I have a bag of "Dollar Tree" cable ties AND a cheap $1 "Swiss Army knife" to cut them with! :) Nobody seems to give a sh1t about that.

Travel cheap-looking, travel safe.
Travel extravagant, they'll target you :ok:

[ExXB]

If you answer "yes" to the "are you carrying anything for anybody else" question then you will be denied boarding. So the question might as well be worded instead "Do you want to be denied carriage, not get to see your family, and lose the fare you have paid as it is nonrefundable ? Answer yes or no".

I've done this a couple of times and was asked to explain the situation. In one case (travelling on a US airline) colleagues had given me envelopes containing documents they wanted hand delivered to one of our other offices. They looked at the envelope, but didn't open it (it was unsealed) and then went back to checking me in. In another case I had packed in my hold luggage something my wife wanted me to post to one of her British relatives since I was going to London anyway. Again they appeared to be completely unconcerned after I explained and did not want me to open my bag before they sent it down the chute.

So I don't believe it SOP to deny honest travellers when the answer to this question is "Yes"

[BHX86]

Quote:
If you answer "yes" to the "are you carrying anything for anybody else" question then you will be denied boarding. So the question might as well be worded instead "Do you want to be denied carriage, not get to see your family, and lose the fare you have paid as it is nonrefundable ? Answer yes or no".
I've done this a couple of times and was asked to explain the situation. In one case (travelling on a US airline) colleagues had given me envelopes containing documents they wanted hand delivered to one of our other offices. They looked at the envelope, but didn't open it (it was unsealed) and then went back to checking me in. In another case I had packed in my hold luggage something my wife wanted me to post to one of her British relatives since I was going to London anyway. Again they appeared to be completely unconcerned after I explained and did not want me to open my bag before they sent it down the chute.

So I don't believe it SOP to deny honest travellers when the answer to this question is "Yes"

In actual fact if the check in agent suspects that you may have something which belongs to a 3rd person that is not travelling, and suspects that you are not 100% sure of its contents, then that bag will be sent for additional screening before it is loaded onto the aircraft. Answering no to this question will not get you offloaded. Furthermore it is better to be honest with your responses than to lie and not be so sure. It could actually be the difference in reaching your destination safely or being blown up in mid air.

Im sure the majority of you may already know the case of Anne Marie Murphy, but if not not look it up. That is one of the main reason these security questions are asked.