Hi, sorry if this has been talked about previously. What are the general rules (if any) for kids having legal drugs in their dorms? I can’t find anything on my son’s college website. I’m assuming they are allowed, but am mostly curious if they usually have to be in a labelled vial or original container, etc. Sometimes for OTC drugs, I have given him a handful in a secondary unofficial container to take to school. I’m talking Tylenol, a couple of sleeping pills, etc… He has a room inspection coming up, his first, and we’re not sure how thoroughly they look in drawers for stuff like this, or if it matters. Thanks!
I don’t think it’s a safe protocol in general to use secondary containers, unless you are dosing for an elderly person with multiple meds who needs the Sunday/Monday/Tuesday pack to take the meds correctly.
A college kid should be able to dispense from the original containers.
I’ve had kids staying in my house who have shown up with a ziplock bag filled with random pills and they dump the bag on the kitchen counter saying “Oh by the way, I can’t take one of these on an empty stomach” and then walk out of the room.
Sorry Mom and Dad- not cool. I am not a pharmacist and god forbid, if I had to call 911 in an emergency and the first question was “what has he taken”, I’d hate to hand the paramedic a plastic bag and say “you figure it out”.
Send all pills in the original containers- a bottle of alka seltzer doesn’t take up SO much room that you have to consolidate. And in an emergency, you will be glad to have the actual prescription/OTC bottles on hand for reference for a first responder.
Yeah, I agree with the safety issues. The reason I only gave him a handful was because I was taking some from the huge generic bottle of Tylenol I already had (it was a budget issue, not packing), leaving most at home for me. To clarify, I do label the secondary container in my handwriting, it’s just not the original store/pharmacy label. And I only allow him to have one or two sleeping pills at a time to prevent dependence on them; they are for ‘emergencies’ only. (He hasn’t used one yet.) So that original pharmacy-labelled vial is still at home, mostly full. In the future I guess I will buy a small container of Tylenol for him to take to school, budget be darned (don’t make fun, I’m counting pennies these days.) I’m still curious, though, exactly how thorough these room inspections are.
It’s a felony in some states to carry controlled substances outside of their original containers. The sleeping pill might be a controlled substance. What state is he in? You can look up the statute.
That said, they would need probable cause and/or a warrant to search for drugs. Unless they use the “room inspection” as a pretext for looking for illegal substances: “Oh, we were inspecting the room for cleanliness, and lo and behold we found cocaine!” Sounds like an illegal search to me.
What kind of college is this? Is it a military academy? Never heard of a room inspection at a college dorm.
OTC drugs are not a problem outside the package, unless is against the rules of his particular college.
I think the inspection is ostensibly to check for cleanliness. It’s a medium-sized public college in Alabama.
So are they going to go through his toiletry bag? That would be outside the scope of inspecting for cleanliness, and I would hire a lawyer if they go beyond a general cleanliness check. They have no right to check student’s personal effects.
Yeah, probably not. It’s his first semester, my firstborn, so just covering the bases. 
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In the future, do it legally. Have him carry the controlled substance in the original container, and YOU keep the rest at home in a Ziploc. That is, assuming the prescription is in his name. If not, then that’s a whole other story.
I just noticed that you said it’s a public college. All the more reason they should be following the laws of the state. Just tell him not to leave it out in the open. If it IS openly visible, they can ask what it is.
I would strongly suggest leaving everything in the original containers at college (even aspirin etc.). I’d put medications taken daily in one case that can be easily accessed and medications that are for illness (ex. aspirin, cold medicine, band-aids etc) in a second case that can be stored elsewhere.
And room inspections don’t typically go in drawers. To avoid it coming up for discussion, you can tell him to put the medication under some clothing or in a non-see-through bag.
I suspect that most room inspections are looking for safety (think overload extension cords, unsafe lofted beds) and looking for items that are not allowed such as hot plates, toaster ovens, candles, etc. I doubt that over the counter drugs in labeled bottles will be an issue.
For the OTC meds, buy him a smallish container, and then re-fill it as necessary from your big one.
We sent a locking truck box (too big/awkward to easily steal) and had our son use a 7 day pillbox to limit pills out in the open and to help him keep track of usage.
D takes prescription painkillers when she gets severe cramps each month - usually she needs them the first 1 1/2 to 2 days of her cycle, then she can take OTC for a couple more days. She inherited this condition from me. Since these are critical to her being able to function for those days, we wanted them available when she needs them, but since we know narcotics are habit forming and potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, we spoke to her college Health Center about what she needed, how she should store them, etc. We worked out an arrangement that she will keep 2 tablets with her in her purse/backpack, and the HC will hold the rest for her, to get as needed, they will give her 4-6 tablets, and she can come back and get more the following day if she still needs them, they are locked up with her name on them. She keeps a small bottle of OTC for when needed.
The school will most likely be very happy to work out an arrangement in everyone’s best interests. No school wants to deny a reasonable accommodation for a health reason, especially one that best balances the safety of everyone concerned.
My DS has a prescription Vyvanse. When Kroger fills his prescription there is a copy of the prescription with his name on it that you can tear off(its scored) anyway I have him carry that in his wallet at all times. Just in case something happens…
This is what my school did. I’m sure it varies by college, but they were just generally looking for big issues–fire hazards, safety issues, obvious banned items left out in the open. They’re not going to be rifling through your son’s drawers. I wouldn’t worry about it, but you (or rather, your son) can always check with the school to see what it entails.
Hopefully the sleeping pills are prescribed in his name? Would not be good if he were caught with drugs not in his name.
I take pills that are highly desired by college students. I suggest just leaving them in their marked contained and put them in a drawer.
I’ve never heard of room inspections at regular colleges. Many, perhaps most, college students take prescribed or OTC drugs. They’re not going to hassle you about it. If they’re controlled drugs, just make sure they’re in a bottle with his name. This is good practice for life, not just for this situation.
This may sound stupid, but if nothing else, the instructions are on the original container. Although most OTC medicine is pretty safe, I would hate to take a 24hr allergy every 4-6 hours.
you should never take pills out of the original container! and if it is a RX it must always be in the correct container from the drug store and have his name on the label ! but he is an adult he can have otc meds and RX (his properly labeled … not somebody else’s) in his dorm.
I would think all colleges have periodic safety checks - in my daughter’s school they look for fire hazards and things which are not allowed (coffee makers, candles, decorative string of lights, etc.) They perform these inspections once a semester and the students are told which week they occur. The kids are left a notice with their results (clear - or please remove such and such and be prepared for re-inspection on this date.) RAs doing this check are not allowed to open drawers or cabinets.