posted April 06, 2000 11:51 PM            

new federal ruling allows U.S. residents reentering the United States at international land borders to bring back, without a prescription, up to 50 dosage units of medications on the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) controlled substances list, Schedules 2 through 5. You may bring in more than 50 units if you have a prescription written by a U.S.-licensed physician whom DEA has authorized to prescribe these medications.

Please note that this rule applies only to medications that can be legally prescribed in the United States. You still can't bring back drugs or medications not permitted in the United States, such as anabolic steroids, laetrile, or heroin.

If you are returning by a land border and you are bringing back medications that qualify under this rule, you must declare them. Also, they must be for your own personal use, and they must be in their original container. Finally, you should be aware that drug products not approved by the FDA may not be allowed under this rule. Such unapproved drugs are often of unknown quality, may have been manufactured under inferior conditions, and may not be as safe or effective as their U.S. counterparts, even when they have the same name. Take the generic drug diazepam, for example. It is manufactured in the United States, Canada, and Mexico as Valium. But it�s also sold in Canada under the names Neo-Calme and Rival, and in Mexico as Pacitran and Relazepam. Are all these brands equally effective or safe? Not necessarily.
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/travel/know.htm#Medication