Pills can go in your carry-on or checked bag, and TSA allows liquid medicine over 3.4 oz in reasonable quantities if you declare it. At UK airports, carry proof of prescription for a liquid medicine over 100 ml.
Flying from
What medicine?
Carry-on rule
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Declaring medicine to TSA
Before screening starts, tell the officer you have medically necessary liquids, and put them in a bin of their own with accessories such as freezer packs, IV bags, pumps and syringes.
Officers may test a liquid, or ask you to open it for vapor analysis, but screening never puts anything into it. If you don’t want it X-rayed or opened, say so, and you and your carry-on get extra screening instead.
Contact lens solution
TSA treats contact lens solution as a medically necessary liquid, but some solutions contain chemicals that typically alarm. TSA recommends packing bottles over 3.4 ounces in your checked bag. UK guidance counts contact lens solution as a liquid.
At EU airports
The European Commission allows essential medicines over 100 ml, only for use during the trip, and you may be asked to prove they’re genuine.
Common questions
Do pills have to be in their original bottle?
Not for TSA, which recommends, but doesn't require, that medication be labeled, and says clear labels make screening easier.
Does liquid medicine count toward my quart bag?
No, TSA lets medically necessary liquids over 3.4 oz go outside the quart bag, as long as you declare them at the checkpoint.
Can medicine go in a checked bag?
Yes, TSA lists pills and liquid medication as allowed in checked bags as well as carry-ons. Medicines the FAA restricts, such as rubbing alcohol, are limited to 500 ml (17 fl oz) a container and 2 L (68 fl oz) in all.
Rules come from TSA’s medication pages, the UK government’s hand luggage guide and the European Commission. Checked against published data from TSA, GOV.UK and European Commission.
See all 10 sources
TSA Cares, Disabilities and Medical Conditions: Medications
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Medications (Liquid)
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Medications (Pills)
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Inhalers
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Insulin
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Gel Ice Packs
TSA, What Can I Bring?: Contact Lens Solution
GOV.UK, Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports: liquids
GOV.UK, Hand luggage restrictions at UK airports: medicines, medical equipment and dietary requirements
European Commission, Mobility and Transport: information for air travellers
General guidance from airline, TSA and FAA rules, checked on the date shown. Rules change, and the airline and security officers decide on the day: check your airline before you fly.