Traveling with liquid antibiotics through airport security

[miccoops]

Hi
my daughter was prescribed antibiotics on Sunday via 111 and a trip to out of hours GP. We travel to Rome tomorrow and it needs to be kept cold. The bottles are 100ml so comply with rules but need to be kept cold. I don’t have a copy of the prescription and my doctors won’t do her a letter as it’s not on their system. The bottles come in boxes with her name on and a label from the hospital but that’s all I have. I’m hoping this will be ok to allow me to take ice packs through… my back up is to take zip lock bags and get ice when we get airside and then again on the plane but not ideal… any one have any experience with this? Thanks

Which airport are you travelling from?

For example, Luton Airport says medicines needing to be kept cool – using one ice pack in a cool bag - can be packed in hand luggage supported by a doctor's letter, or in hold luggage without.

Bristol Airport says about hand luggage
"You may carry medicines that need to be kept cold in a cool bag and include one ice pack in the bag, as long as your doctor's letter states that the medication needs to be kept cool."

I'm surprised the doctor's surgery won't provide a letter, given that letters need to be provided for insulin, epipens and other medicines.

Doctor was really unhelpful 😞 I submitted online request but I’m doubtful.

The airport is Stansted. Thanks

Is there anything on nhs app you can print off? In a bottle with a label should be fine . Dh has never had to take his meds out of a bag let alone show a letter or prescription.

That is indeed unhelpful of the doctor.

Does the label say "Must be kept refrigerated" or similar? That might be enough if security staff query a cool bag and freezer block.

Otherwise you might have to go with your plan B.

You don't happen to have a wide mouthed vacuum bottle you could put the containers in with the ice, do you?

It's pretty cold in the hold, or the cabin crew would be able to put the medicine in their fridge for you.

But you could well be asked for a doctor's letter to prove that what's inside the bottles is actually medicine. Be prepared to be asked to take the bottles out of your luggage if you're taking them into the cabin - they will probably pass them through their sniffing machine,

I take liquid medicine through security all the time. They may swab it, or confirm the name on the dispensing label matches the name on the passport. I’ve never needed a doctor’s letter for liquid medication or Epi pens. I wouldn’t worry about not having a doctor’s letter.

Travel to airport with small ice pack. Try to get it through. If no joy, buy a can of coke or two from fridges in departures and keep them next to the meds. Not ideal but worked ok for us for short haul flight.

The bottle should have a label I never travel with a copy of my prescription and take medication with me usually in my handbah I never have an issue. I really don't think you need to worry , if you are though can the the pharmacy give you a copy of the prescription? Bur honestly I don't think you have anything to worry about they will swab it if they think it's something else.

I'd get a snap ice pack one of those that you get in first aid boxes and use that to keep the medicine cool.

I've found a paragraph in the Civil Aviation Authority's guidance on security.

"If the label on the medication or medical confirmation states that medication must be kept cool, you may carry an ice pack or cooling gel pack in cabin baggage. These will need to be removed for separate screening."

So just instructions on the label rather than a doctor's letter should be OK. Having said that, I believe CAA guidance is not mandatory and airports can have their own rules, but you can hope security will be reasonable.

Thanks all. I the bottle was made up by the doctor at hospital. He wrote her name, the dosage and it has a sticker for the dispenser. It does say to keep refrigerated once made up on the box so I’ll bring it in the box with an ice pack and back up zip lock bag in case they say no. Do you I speak to them when we arrive at the security machines. Not sure how they put it through scanner and if I need to take medicine out the box and cool
bag and put in a clear bag…

No good for you travelling today... but in case useful for others
My dd was on antibiotics long term. I would get them provided as a powder and add the water myself. Pharmacy were OK with this once they were used to it.

I would put the medicine, in its box since that has the label on it, and the ice pack in a separate clear bag and put that in the tray with everything else that needs to go through the scanner, keeping the cool bag in your hand luggage.

You could draw the security staff's attention to it to explain why you have two clear bags and why you need an ice pack.

I would hope that would work.

Take also a couple of freezer bags and clips with you. Ask a restaurant or cafe to get them filled with ice cubes and place everything into the cool bag for the flight.

I did this on train journeys when yoghurt was the only thing DD ate thanks to a sore throat.