A Guide to Taking Your Medicine and Medical Devices Through Airport Security

Whether you’re traveling with medical equipment, specialized medical implants, or medicine, there are a few things to know before you go through airport security.

It has been 19 years since the Transportation Security Administration implemented rules for flying with liquids, and the federal agency still regularly disposes of prohibited items. That’s a lot of peanut butter and barbecue sauce (maybe speaking from experience here).

One liquid not at risk for disposal is prescription medication. It’s exempt from the limitation of a quart-sized bag of 3.4-oz containers for carry-on luggage. It bears stating this firmly: You can always travel with your prescription liquid medication, no matter the amount.

Expect, though, for it to be screened separately at security. Here’s why, what the process is, and how to make the security screening a breeze.

How Did We Get Here?

Before September 11, 2001, airport security measures could be called lax by today’s standards. There weren’t many federal rules, and a person without a boarding pass or ID could walk right through to greet a traveler. (Picture the opening scene of Love, Actually, except taking place right at the arrival gate.)

TSA was created after 9/11 and became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003. The federal agency oversees security for all types of transportation. Air travel is where it’s most frequently discussed, but the TSA’s scope includes mass transit, rail travel, highways, pipelines, and ports.

In 2006, TSA banned liquids, gels, and aerosols from carry-on luggage following the interception of a terrorist plot: British authorities found that liquid explosives were concealed as soft drinks on 10 commercial aircraft flying from London to the U.S. and Canada. The ban was amended a month later to 3.4-oz containers.

What Are My Rights Regarding Medication While Traveling?

Just like when traveling with breast milk, TSA guidance states: “Screening will never include placing anything into the medically necessary liquid.”

“We never place anything inside of any bottles,” confirmed Sara Wallace, expert security training instructor at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI). If you don’t want your medication to go through X-ray screening, let a TSA officer know. You’ll wait with your medication until an officer is available to go through separate screening, typically advanced imaging technology (AIT). The officer should never take the medication out of your sight.

Should I Arrive Earlier When Traveling With Prescription Medication?

This depends on the amount of medication you’re traveling with. One bottle of liquid medication won’t necessarily slow down a traveler, yet my personal experience when traveling with a toddler who has epilepsy is that having his three liquid medications screened slowed us down by about 15 minutes at security.

More important than arriving early is clearly labeling the medication and letting an officer know what you have, in case additional screening is necessary.

What if I Have TSA PreCheck?

TSA follows a set of standard operating procedures for regular screening, and then there’s TSA PreCheck. These passengers have already had a more extensive screening before going through airport security, yet screening oversized medically necessary liquids is the same process for everyone.

What Should I Do With My Medication During Security Screening?

Place your clear bag of medications and accessories (such as syringes and freezer packs) in their own designated bin. Tell a TSA officer that you have medication that requires screening. Depending on how many medically necessary liquids you’re traveling with, you might be asked to step out of line while the liquids are tested. (If you’ve ever traveled with a stroller, this is a similar experience.)

The officer will test the liquid using screening technology, Vapor Analysis, or X-ray. If you don’t want your medication to go through an X-ray or be opened (again, nothing should ever be placed into the liquid by a TSA officer), you might “undergo additional screening procedures, which may include [Advanced Imaging Technology] screening, a pat-down, and additional screening of your carry-on property,” according to TSA guidelines.

Why Is Liquid Medication Screened?

TSA doesn’t solely exist to make you take off your shoes and belts, and it certainly isn’t the agency’s fault that you forgot (again) to empty your pockets. The agency has about 50,000 security officers who screen more than 2 million passengers each day at 440 airports across the U.S. They’re on the lookout for all types of prohibited items—including an average of nine firearms per day—but what gets the most talk is liquids.

When it comes to liquid medication, TSA is specifically looking for traces of explosives or “a certain amount of certain ingredients, when mixed together, [that] could make an explosive.” It was determined that the amount allowed on board was safe.

“It’s really based on a scientific methodology that ensures that destructive quantities of certain liquids wouldn’t be able to go aboard the aircraft,” said TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston.

It is also based on international standards from the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency. All countries, including the U.S., abide by the same liquids rule. 

How Is Liquid Medication Screened?

All airports use security screening technology for medication.

Depending on the type of bottle and the airport—which all use similar technology but are made by different companies—visual and X-ray screening might not be sufficient, and the officer could opt for Vapor Analysis.

In this case, the officer will ask if the passenger can open the container. A liquid test strip is held over the container for an allotted amount of time, and then another liquid is placed on top of that strip to check for a reaction involving certain substances that aren’t allowed.

If there’s a reaction, the officer will call their supervisor, and if need be, an expert will be contacted.

Kari LeMay, travel blogger at AchieveYourBucketList.com, frequently flies with a large number of insulin and Humira pens containing liquid. She uses a medical-grade cooler when traveling for extended periods, which is supposed to keep the medication chilled for up to three days. For good measure, she also includes two plastic ice packs.

“TSA always opens and inspects the cooler, but then they wave us through,” she said. “We have traveled around the world in this manner, and the same happens everywhere: They always check, and we always pass the inspection.”

Should My Medication Be in the Original Bottle? Do I Need a Doctor’s Note?

A prescription label is not needed. It’s best if you do have one, but TSA can’t say that a traveler doesn’t need the medicine for medical purposes.

“Regardless if you have [a doctor’s note or medical card] or not, we’re not going to deny you what you need medically,” said Wallace.

“None of our meds have ever gone through additional screening technology or analysis,” said LeMay. “I think because we have it properly packaged and documented with what it is, we’ve been fine.”

She does travel with an updated, signed doctor’s note, translated into all of the languages of her intended destinations.

“Only once, the immigration inspectors took the note from my doctor…to someone to review, but then they brought it back to us and waved us through,” LeMay said.

Does the Medication Screening Process Work the Same at All U.S. Airports?

No, for two reasons: technology and “local directives.” Different airports can have different technology, and one might allow for clearing items without pulling for additional screening simply due to newer, more advanced technology.

“It’s typically an X-ray that we use for our checked baggage. It allows the machine to help us make some of our decisions,” said Wallace.

The funding can be provided by a specific airline in a city where a faster screening process is desired. In some cases, airports and airlines will donate TSA-approved equipment for a more efficient and better security screening process.

“There are sometimes ‘local directives,’ and that could be based on something they have going on at that airport or that they’ve seen more at that airport. The standard operating procedure is nationwide,” said Wallace. “The technology would be the only thing that makes a difference.”

I Have a Medical Device, Medical Implant, or Other Specialized Equipment. How Can I Safely Get Through Security Faster?

The TSA Cares program assists travelers with disabilities who need extra assistance or additional screening. It’s unrelated to traveling with medication, however.

Still unsure about the liquid you plan to travel with, medication or otherwise? Use the MyTSA app to search for what is and isn’t allowed.