Travelling with Epipens

[cocococo]

We're vising America with an Epipen and a tin of Wysoy and I was wondering if anyone knows whether we need to have a doctor's letter in case we get stopped at customs? I phoned the surgery today and they only thing they seemed sure about was the bill for £25 to write a letter for us! Just wondering if I need this or not!

Not sure about travel to America but I did need a Dr's letter to travel with DS's epipen from new Zealand to the UK via Hong Kong and back last year. Cathay Pacific took a copy to keep with our booking information. Having said that I kept offering to show it to customs, baggage people etc en route and nobody was interested. Cathay also said I had to hand the epipen to a cabin crew member when in flight which I refused to do, I had vivid images of Ds having a reaction to soemthing with nuts in and nobody being sure where they had put it!!!!
I would imagine the US is quite hot although it is criminal they are chargin you for the letter.

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Thanks for that. I better call the airline and ask them. I've been thinking about how to avoid the £25 charge and was wondering if I carry a perscription for the epipen with me whether that will suffice? I'll check with the airline to be sure.

We called the airline and they said it was fine, no letter needed. Taking the prescription with sounds like a good precaution.

I think I've convinced myself that taking a perscription sounds like the best course of action - it means you can prove you legitimately that have the medication and if you managed to lose it also means you could then replace it too!

Hi there, I would advise bringing a letter as well as prescription for US security outlining why you need to take the epipen onboard. I don't want to worry you but the security leaving the US may take the epipens off you (they are not airline staff so it is not enough that airline said they didn't mind). I have travelled twice translatantic from US since 9/11 (live in US) and it will just depend who is on the security scan for the hand luggage. Once you have a Drs letter it is fine (I would even write/type one yourself explaining why you need the epipens with Dr's phone number to be contacted for verification). I was told by the doctor here that they have to write similar letters for people with pacemakers / metal implants (pins) these days. Also I wouldn't rely on the special meals either - make sure you have enough food/snacks. Anything processed in a sealed wrapper can be brought into US, in my experience, its just fresh meat / fruit they have a problem with that will have to be left on the plane.

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