I occasionally cruise the travel med section of pharmacies and try to find the smallest OTC labeled bottles for my FAK - relatively unbreakable plastic bottles are a plus. I use clear tape, contact paper, or nail polish to help the label survive.

[Off topic: For prescription meds all you can do is ask the pharmacy staff for their smallest container. Treat the label the same. Be sure the prescription is current!]

Hospitals use small plastic sterile evacuated tubes for blood collection. some have chemicals in them-heparin, edta, or a gel to preserve, anti-coagulate, or separate the serum for lab use-but the red ones are usually chemical free, and will hold a single column of motrin. It's a waterproof, crush resistant, relatively compact solution. These items have expiration dates on them, and are often discarded as they out-date-usually can be had for the asking. I have also fabricated some waterproof containers from empty liter IV fluid bags-cut the top off, dry, add FAK, fold the top over three times and clamp with binder clips. it's a low cost version of the aloksak technology, and has proven more durable than similar contrivances using ziplok bags.

Good point : label everything clearly including dose and exp. date.

I'll post photos of some possible solutions.

Teacher

During my latest trip to the jungles of northern Thailand, I kept all my meds in small ziplock bags which then was kept in an Otterbox. For me that worked great.

I have found that just about any of the OTC containers, once you remove the inner foil seal, do not work well to preserve and protect the contents from humidity, oxygen and permit them to loose effectiveness fairly quickly. This is especially true if they are carried in a kit and subjected to changes in temp. and humidity.

The solution that works for me is not a med. container, but match cases, specifically the orange plastic screw top ones with the black plastic/rubber ring between the top and the case. Made by Coghlan's (no affiliation) and probably others. See: http://www.coghlans.com/products/plastic-match-box-8746

It holds a reasonable number of pills and keeps them safe and dry. A bit of duct tape and a marker will label them for you, or, as I do just mark the top.

I have yet to find anything better in any "made for the purpose" pill case, all of which seem to let more or less air into the case causing the meds to loose effectiveness quickly.

The only other realistic alternative is the individually sealed foil packets of pills.

I found very small zip lock bags in a craft store. They're intended for beads or tiny parts. Some might put illegal substances in them....

I put OTC meds in these, labeled with a sharpie, and I cut out the name portion of the original package. I put prescription drugs in them, and affix the label that goes on the original bottle. Pharmacists will print an extra label for you if you ask.

Then everything goes into a air/water/crush proof box like an otter box.

Particularly for meds that I might hand out on request, the travel packets are the way to go.

I've kept the containers for the travel dramamine, advil, tylenol, aleve etc.....they are the perfect size and relatively watertight. They survive an extended dunking though I will admit one didn't last the washing machine.... not surprised though. It was also old so that may have contributed to the seal leaking. I scrape off the label and write my own. Compact and very durable.

After being pulled over for speeding, the son of a client was arrested, prosecuted, fined, and is on three years probation because he was found with pills in a bottle whose label was worn off. This was considered a separate offense.

It that turned out the pills were the last of an expired painkiller prescription. Possession of these was considered a second and separate offense.

The county prosecuted under federal drug laws that the U.S. Attorney for the jurisdiction declined to prosecute.

Even getting the doctor to verify the original prescription and to write a new, current prescription was considered by the court to be no defense.

I do not want to be arrested pending a report from the lab on what kind of pills I am carrying. Original packages and labels in all my FAKs. Only current prescription meds in original containers with legible labels.