Hopping on a plane for a long weekend getaway or extended vacation becomes more complex when undergoing fertility treatments. In addition to analyzing your calendar to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time for blood draws and procedures, planning a trip during a treatment cycle includes traveling with specialty medication.
To help you out, here are our tips for flying with fertility drugs, from how to pack medications to how to keep medication cold while traveling.
Do Your Research Before Flying with Fertility Drugs
The key to successfully traveling with injectable medication and other fertility drugs is to plan carefully. That means:
- Know Your Airline’s Rules: Carefully review the airline’s website for guidelines on packing and flying with prescription medications. Contact the customer service department to discuss precisely what you’ll be bringing and how to comply with their rules.
- Get a Note from Your Doctor: Having your doctor document your diagnosis and necessity for traveling with injectable and oral fertility medications serves as an added layer of reassurance before you get on the plane.
- Understand Storage Requirements for Each Medication: Many fertility drugs require storage at a specific temperature. Keep an updated list of which medications need to be kept cold while traveling and which ones should stay at room temperature. Most medications are allowed excursion times from the labeled storage conditions; however, you can never predict delays! So plan for them, just in case.
Always Choose a Carry-On for Fertility Medications
The #1 tip for flying with fertility drugs: never check fertility medications. It’s tempting to throw all your medications and supplies in your checked bag to lessen the hassle at security but think again. A missing bag of clothes adds stress to your trip; a missing bag of specialty medications could compromise your entire treatment cycle.
In your carry-on bag, create your own IVF medication organizer. Any storage or craft box can serve as an IVF medication organizer, making traveling with injectable and oral medications much more manageable. Be sure to include supplies like alcohol wipes and syringes. Pack a few extras for good measure.
Tips for Packing and Storing Fertility Medication
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should be your main resource for understanding how to fly with fertility drugs. The top travel tips include:
- You only need to notify a TSA officer if you’re traveling with liquid medications.
- Liquid fertility medications can exceed the 3.4-ounce limitation, but you should always notify a TSA office right at the screening checkpoint.
- You can bring as many solid-form fertility drugs as needed if they’re screened.
We recommend using an IVF medication organizer or a new, sealed plastic bag for packing fertility medications to stay organized during this process. Keep prescriptions in their original package and near your doctor’s note.
How to Keep Medication Cold While Traveling
If certain medications need to stay refrigerated during travel, invest in a frozen gel pack and insulated bag. Be sure to use a high-quality brand that you can trust to keep medication cold while traveling. This is not a time to skimp!
Following recommended storage temperatures is critical to maintaining the effectiveness of the fertility medication, so don’t overlook this requirement while you’re walking through the airport or on the plane.
Safely Travel with Fertility Medication
Traveling is a great way to manage the stress of fertility treatments. Need more help or have fertility questions before your next vacation? Mandell’s Clinical Pharmacy offers helpful tips for safely handling specialty medications while you’re close or far from home.
Safe travels!