By Janice Harvey, RPh, CDE
Whether you’re heading on a business trip, a family vacation, or an adventurous getaway, ensuring a seamless and safe journey requires more than just booking flights and accommodations. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our new Pre-Travel Consultation service! Our pharmacists will provide you with everything you need to get the most from your trip: information on health risks and safety precautions, medication management, routine and travel vaccinations, plus the packing and travel essentials.
What Our Service Includes
Our comprehensive consultation service covers a wide range of travel health and safety needs, ensuring you are fully prepared before you step onto the plane. Here’s what you can expect.
Destination-specific health & safety guidance – We provide detailed information on your destination, including required and recommended vaccinations, health risks and disease prevention strategies, plus how to access local healthcare at your destination.
It’s especially important to have a pre-travel consult if you take medications for chronic health conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Pharmacists can provide expert advice on drug interactions between your prescription medications and travel medications (such as those for malaria), what to do if you become dehydrated and you’re taking certain prescription medications (such as metformin), and which medications increase the risk of phototoxicity. We can also make sure you’re taking the right travel medications (according to the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, in a report of 508 travellers who contracted malaria, only 29 per cent took the recommended regimen).
Medication management & travel health advice – Your well-being is our priority. Our pharmacists offer guidance on travelling with prescription medications, travel-friendly medication storage and usage, plus over-the-counter remedies for common travel ailments, such as jet lag.
Have questions about the timing of your medications in a different time zone, or how to adjust your insulin doses while crossing multiple time zones? Wondering whether a DEET-based or icaridin-based insect repellent is safest for children? Our pharmacists can address these and many other travel-related concerns. In addition, our certified compression fitters can help you choose travel compression socks to reduce leg fatigue and prevent deep vein thrombosis during longer flights.
Food, water, and environmental safety – Protect your health while traveling with pharmacist-recommended tips on safe eating and drinking practices, prevention of traveler’s diarrhea and food-borne illnesses, and managing allergies or dietary restrictions while abroad.
Packing and travel essentials – Avoid last-minute packing stress with our packing checklist tailored to your destination, including essential medications and first-aid kits, sun protection and insect repellent recommendations, travel health documentation (vaccination records, medication lists, etc.), and more. We now carry a selection of travel-sized products in the pharmacy.
Who can benefit from this service?
Our pre-travel consultation is perfect for:
- First-time travelers who need step-by-step health guidance
- Business professionals who want to stay healthy while on the go
- Families looking for a smooth and illness-free vacation experience
- Adventure travelers exploring new terrains with potential health risks
- Anyone with chronic conditions needing medication and safety advice
How to book your consultation
It’s a good idea to book your consultation about 4 to 6 weeks before your departure date. Booking your session is easy! Simply visit our pharmacy, call us, or book online to schedule a consultation with one of our pharmacists. With our Pre-Travel Consultation service, you can focus on making memories while we handle the health details.
