Entering the US with medications

[sorchaine 10]

I know this is a bit premature since my fiancé is still waiting for his interview, but I want to try to get everything that is stressing me right now worked out so we can focus on other things that are less stressful once he arrives.

My fiancé will hopefully soon be entering the US on his K1 visa (assuming he gets approved of course). He has a couple conditions that require him to take medications, Lithium and Diamox. I currently am a full time student and do not have health insurance at this time. Which means I am not able to put him onto a health insurance plan because I don't have one myself. We are hoping that within the first 6 months he'll get his EAD and be able to start working and by the end of the year I'll be finished with my schooling and able to get full-time employment. But during this time we are concerned about how he can continue to take his medications without the insurance to cover him. If I am lucky enough to get a job at the end of the year we'll still need to wait probably 3-6 months for any health insurance they offer to kick in.

I'm just wondering if there's anyone else who has been in this same situation or similar who has any advice on what we could do. Also any information about whether it would be ok to keep the medication in his checked luggage, since he can go a day or two without taking them. Ideally we would want to have a 6 month supply, but I'm pretty sure that's not a realistic option.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

When bringing in prescription medication it is always advisable to bring a note from a doctor stating that they are yours (or a prescription). Carrying hefty amounts of medications may raise flags but you should be fine with a letter from a doctor explaining the situation

Good luck

[Carolina+James 1]

I brought 4 month supply of birth control pills, had no problem at all. Actually on the first time I came, I had a 3 month supply, and since I went to the routine luggage review, I had to talk to a cop, and he just asked what they were for, said ok, and done. So the prescription tip is your way to go, I believe.

If they don't like it and he has to give up his pills, try to find some sort of low income service. It is what I am doing for my birth control, I use Planned Parenthood, which has cheaper doctors and the pills. Until we can set up our medical insurance, it's just perfect.

[sorchaine 10]

Thanks for the advice! We'll be sure to get a form or some sort of prescription written up by his medic to make sure that if he is asked about them he'll have that to show why he has the medications and that he is supposed to have them.

[canadian_wife 1,822]

The US just will want to make sure that there isn't a chance of re-sale. For example, if you had to bring in 6 months worth of oxycotin then that might be a problem conpared to something like birth-control pills because those have a typically low resale value

The letter will help

Good luck

[HeatDeath 430]

The US just will want to make sure that there isn't a chance of re-sale. For example, if you had to bring in 6 months worth of oxycotin then that might be a problem conpared to something like birth-control pills because those have a typically low resale value

The letter will help

Good luck

I brought in a year's supply of metformin and blood glucose test strips. When I phoned the PoE (land crossing from Canada) to confirm that it was OK they just said to make sure I had prescription labels for everything.

Of course, when I got to the PoE and did my K-1 processing, they never expressed the slightest interest in anything I was carrying. I could have had 6 months of oxycotin, or Canadian over-the-counter tylenol-with-codeine's, or even 6 months of straight morphine and they wouldn't even have noticed .

[Of course, if I had brought any of that stuff, I obviously would have been randomly selected to have my car torn apart. Murphy's Law and all that ]

[canadian_wife 1,822]

Heat - you know what? Murphy's always gets me!

plus, I'd hate to apply those lenient standards to Canadians to other countries. Since I've never tried entering from Brazil as a Brazillian citizen with an immigrant visa, I'd hate to say "yah man, no worries. It's all good"

I like to advise based on worst case scenario. Yah, the prescriptions will likely be fine. But you get a CBP who's wife just left him and is on a power trip...well, make it easier for yourself

[Ladylethal 12]

Yep, make sure you have a prescription, letter from doctor, etc.

I traveled with a little pharmacy (knowing in advance the price of medication here and how most medication requires prescription here and not in Brazil) but nothing too wild. I had supplies of my BC pill and anti-inflamatory (Feldene) pills as long as some of the other stuff I occasionally use such as Diprosone (a cortisone cream I wasn't sure was sold without prescription here) and like hypoglós, minancura, tralen, etc. I'm not sure what would have happened if I had been stopped but I wasn't hiding any of it and it was all on my handbag which was scanned normally. Nobody said anything.

[nab 74]

I brought in a year's supply of metformin and blood glucose test strips. When I phoned the PoE (land crossing from Canada) to confirm that it was OK they just said to make sure I had prescription labels for everything.

Of course, when I got to the PoE and did my K-1 processing, they never expressed the slightest interest in anything I was carrying. I could have had 6 months of oxycotin, or Canadian over-the-counter tylenol-with-codeine's, or even 6 months of straight morphine and they wouldn't even have noticed .

[Of course, if I had brought any of that stuff, I obviously would have been randomly selected to have my car torn apart. Murphy's Law and all that ]

LOL that's my luck!

you know it's even against the rules to bring back cosmetic creams that are not FDA approved? a friend tried to get me to bring back some cream from the store he is convinced makes his skin lighten and i was like NO WAY. i odnt mind going to store and picking him up 6 jars but if i have to dump out my hair conditioner and load that jar up with the stuff then NO WAY i'm not doing it. i dont get locked up for ANYONE imagine sitting in prison... "what'd you do?" "i killed someone" "what'd you do?" "i smuggled face cream over the border" yeah, no thanks.

[ScottThuy 140]

I had 18 months of diabetes meds for a friend in March.. they looked at the meds but said nothing... it was a briefcase size bag of gel packs in my suitcase... they were all clearly labeled... I wouldnt advise doing what I did though..

[Harsh_77 718]

3-6 months of medication with a letter from doctor, should be fine.

[sorchaine 10]

Thanks everyone! We'll get something from his medic stating the prescription for the medication to attach to the boxes he's bringing. Since in Brazil you don't actually get any sort of label or anything on the medication, just the boxes themselves so hopefully a letter stating that his medic prescribed these medications for him and the amounts and things will be enough.

Also one other question, should he carry these in his carry on luggage or can they be in his checked luggage? Should he list them on the customs form when he's entering the US?

I know that when I came back from Brazil I had a few medications in my checked luggage (some that weren't exactly prescribed for me per se), but I did not claim them on the customs form and they didn't open my luggage to exam it either coming back into the US, but I'm not sure that if he's entering as a non-US citizen if they'll be have stricter requirements as far as searching through his luggage and things.