My son is visiting the US this week. He broke his finger a little while ago, and occasionally needs (prescribed) panadol+codeine tablets (30mg of codeine per tablet). He is worried whether he can take the remains of his supply of pills with him, of if the rules in the US, which may be stricter than here for all he knows, prohibit codeine in that strength.
Anyone know?
Usual disclaimer about your answers not legal advice, not your client, etc.
Just figuring there is probably a simple answer, and wanting to assuage his fears that all will be well.
Panadol (Acetaminophen)/Codeine 300/30 is legal in the US. It’s commonly referred to as Tylenol 3.
As for bringing it in from another country, I leave that to others more knowledgeable, but I would assume it wouldn’t be a problem provided it’s with a doctor’s prescription and in an prescription bottle and probably under some specific amount set by customs.
You’re asking two questions. 1) Is it legal in the US (absolutely, although prescription). 2) Will I get in trouble with Customs/TSA if I bring it in? They can confiscate stuff even if it is legal, due to regulations. But you should have no problem as long as they are carried in the prescription bottle, and it has his name on it.
TSA screens passengers boarding planes in the U.S. If your port of entry is your final destination then you will never encounter TSA.
You will encounter U.S. Customs but they do not routinely search incoming baggage. Certain narcotics are prohibited from coming in. Other drugs should be declared. Here are the rules but they seem more relevant to U.S. citizens than to foreign visitors.
Passengers who enter the U.S. at one airport as a transit passenger and clear U.S. Customs, then board a different plane to their final destination, will be screened by TSA. Although not a legal requirement, it is best to carry prescription medication in it’s original container, labeled with your name. It is possible that, although not required, additional documentation could smooth out the process. In the case of something like codeine it wouldn’t hurt to have a doctor’s note written on a prescription pad. But TSA rulesdon’t address medication except to the extent that the medication is a liquid. (Liquid medications are not subject to the 100 ml limit but must be declared to TSA during screening.)
In practical terms, if the medication is not liquid then nobody will ever notice that you have it. I have traveled in and out of the U.S. with prescription pills in my carry-on bag several times in the last 10 years and have never been asked about it.
ETA: TSA’s express mission is air travel security. That implies that it is not their job to worry about whether you are carrying something of questionable origin that does not otherwise jeopardize safety, like endangered animal pelts or narcotics. They are supposed to be stopping hijackers and bombers. But they tend to overstep their boundaries.
Also I agree with Joey P that it’s legal here, and quantities are not limited as long as it is for personal use. Importation for resale is a different story.
Putting patient’s names on medication bottles is a US peculiarity: in most countries, patients get a box whose contents have not been touched since it left the factory and their names don’t appear on it at all.
The patient should bring a copy of the prescription itself (autocopy if available), although it’s rarely asked for.
If you declare drugs they can be confiscated by a customs agent. Although he is not following the law, customs agents are generally not very bright. One told me in all seriousness that importation of any drug to the US is forbidden under any circumstances.
On the other hand, I knew an Australian who had an implanted morphine pump (chronic back pain) and he went to the US consulate in Sydney and got an explicit permit to bring in a certain quantity of morphine to refill his pump and had no trouble.
As for TSA agents, they are even stupider than customs agents. My wife once had a 3 oz jar of baby applesauce confiscated. It was going to be her snack and the TSA agent said that baby food was allowed only if accompanying a baby.