I’m visiting family during the holidays and need to bring my prescription medication with me. The medication is available in America (I took it when I lived there, too). That said, the FDA’s rules on importing drugs are very confusing. Foreign nationals can bring medication in with a prescription/written letter, but US citizens face a much stricter set of rules for importing medications from abroad. But, I live in Japan, and my healthcare is here, so would I receive the same treatment as foreign nationals?
Will I be safe if I just bring my written prescription with me with my meds? I can try and see if my doctor can give me an English translation.
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I travel with RX meds all the time. I’ve never been asked about them heading back to the US. You just need to abide by the US CBP advisory. Assuming the meds are not in containers with your RX on the side:
> It is advised that you travel with no more than personal use quantities, a rule of thumb is no more than a 90 day supply. If your medications or devices are not in their original containers, you must have a copy of your prescription with you or a letter from your doctor.
My experience with clearing US Customs from Japan is they were way more concerned about food/agriculture items and small but expensive electronic gifts that were over the duty free limit.
I could only see them questioning you if they were a controlled substance such as a narcotic pain killer or ADHD drug that a dog picked up.