Practical · US & Canada

Travelling with your medication

Flying with an injectable GLP-1 is routine, but the rules come from airport security agencies and your medicine's label, not from one place. Here is what the US and Canadian agencies say.

US airports (TSA)

Medically necessary liquids are allowed in amounts over 3.4 oz in reasonable quantities and must be declared; the final decision rests with the TSA officer^[4]. Tell the officer about medically necessary liquids before screening begins; ice packs and gel packs used to keep medicine cool may be presented at screening, and you can ask for non-X-ray screening of liquid medication^[5]. Used syringes must be carried in a sharps disposal container or similar hard-surface container^[6].

Canadian airports (CATSA)

Syringes are permitted in carry-on and checked bags for personal medical use, with the needle guard in place and with the medication; labelling is recommended^[7]. For medicine that needs to stay cool, CATSA suggests cooling gel packs or non-electric insulated containers, declared if in your carry-on^[2].

The Government of Canada also advises carrying a copy of your prescription showing the generic and brand names and a note from your doctor, and checking whether your medicine is legal at your destination^[3].

Keep it with you

Lilly Canada advises keeping a Zepbound KwikPen with you rather than in checked luggage, because temperatures in the hold vary; it says airport X-ray is not known to affect the pen^[8]. Labels have no travel section, so the time a pen can spend out of the fridge is set by the storage rules — see storing your medication^[9].

Dose days across time zones

If travel shifts your dose day, check the missed-dose and dose-day rules for your product, and log the dose in Light Years on the day you actually take it.

General information. Security rules change; check the agency's page before you fly.

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