Bringing Over The Counter Medicines into US

kevin65

When travelling to the US, are there restrictions on what over the counter medicines you can carry with you?

silja

There are some items which are prescription only in the USA that are available OTC in Ireland, such as Nurofen Plus (it has codein in it).

kevin65

Is there an issue with bringing a small quantity of something like that into the US? I get migraines from time to time and use migraleve for it.

silja

migraleve (the name) is a herbal supplement here in the USA
I would think it would be illegal to bring the Irish version if discovered, as it contains codein, and likely confiscated if found at the border.
Even if it is OTC in Ireland, you may be able to get a letter from your GP saying you have migraines and use this medicine, that would be the safest thing to do.

Darren1o1

You can bring some OTC stuff from Ireland provided you can prove it is for personal comsumption

AnnaNolan

oh my god I swear by neurofen at times! I cant believe its not OTC in America! Im flying to New York wed on a graduate visa for a year and was going to bring a box with me. I hope they have some good alternatives haha!

silja

They have ibuprofen (what the main ingredient of neurofen is), the issue is with the codein in Neurofen Plus.

dave2pvd

Further, the Codeine ingredient is only in Nurofen Plus, not 'standard' Nurofen.

You can bring it into the US. I bring some back every time I visit home. There are limits though. Two 24 packs is as much as I will carry back. I am supposed to declare it to customs, although I tend to forget this.

The rules for US citizens, from cpb.gov. I'd suggest going by this:

Medication
Rule of thumb: When you go abroad, take the medicines you will need, no more, no less. Narcotics and certain other drugs with a high potential for abuse - Rohypnol, GHB and Fen-Phen, to name a few - may not be brought into the United States, and there are severe penalties for trying to do so. If you need medicines that contain potentially addictive drugs or narcotics (e.g., some cough medicines, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antidepressants or stimulants), do the following:

Declare all drugs, medicinals, and similar products to the appropriate CBP official;
Carry such substances in their original containers;
Carry only the quantity of such substances that a person with that condition (e.g., chronic pain) would normally carry for his/her personal use; and
Carry a prescription or written statement from your physician that the substances are being used under a doctor's supervision and that they are necessary for your physical well being while traveling.

U.S. residents entering the United States at international land borders who are carrying a validly obtained controlled substance (other than narcotics such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or LSD), are subject to certain additional requirements. If a U.S. resident wants to bring in a controlled substance (other than narcotics such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or LSD) but does not have a prescription for the substance issued by a U.S.-licensed practitioner (e.g., physician, dentist, etc.) who is registered with, and authorized by, the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe the medication, the individual may not import more than 50 dosage units of the medication into the United States. If the U.S. resident has a prescription for the controlled substance issued by a DEA registrant, more than 50 dosage units may be imported by that person, provided all other legal requirements are met.

Please note that only medications that can be legally prescribed in the United States may be imported for personal use. Be aware that possession of certain substances may also violate state laws. As a general rule, the FDA does not allow the importation of prescription drugs that were purchased outside the United States. Please see their Web site for information about the enforcement policy for personal use quantities.

Warning: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the importation, by mail or in person, of fraudulent prescription and nonprescription drugs and medical devices. These include unorthodox “cures” for such medical conditions as cancer, AIDS, arthritis or multiple sclerosis. Although such drugs or devices may be legal elsewhere, if the FDA has not approved them for use in the United States, they may not legally enter the country and will be confiscated, even if they were obtained under a foreign physician’s prescription.

Additional information about traveling with and importing medication can be found at the FDA's Drugs page.

snubbleste

Sure they give you free Nurofen/ibuprofen in the US
https://www.cvs.com/deals/deals.jsp?

InTheTrees

I dont think the US version is the same recipe.

While the over the counter euro meds you bring with you might be prescription only in the USA the only penalty would be that they'd take them from you.

I really dont think they'd care too much really, they understand the little annomolies in different countries laws.

You can get the codeine version in Canada too and americans are always bringing it back with them.