Travel Precautions and support

Travellers should seek advice from a pharmacist or their GP at least 8 weeks before they are due to travel, as some vaccines may need to be administered in advance, so that the body can develop immunity. These can even be more than one vaccine over a set time period. Some countries require proof of vaccination (for example, for polio or yellow fever vaccination), which must be documented on an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) before entry or when you leave a country.

Having extensive knowledge and being easily accessible the community pharmacy is ideally positioned to help their customers stay healthy when they travel.

Health matters when visiting a country abroad, be it for a holiday, taking a gap year to adventure the world or visiting friends and relatives.  Ensure to highlight the following holiday tips to your customers before they go away. After all it's better to be safe than sorry.

• Customers need to be aware of all the different risks associated with visiting another country. The GOV UK Foreign Travel Advice has all the information yourself and your customers will need. It is worth mentioning that many travel insurance policies with be invalidated if the customer travels against this advice.
• Ensure their passport is valid. Many countries, airlines and / or cruise operators require at least 6 months validity in a passport at the return date.
• Advise them to take a photocopy of their passport and certificates and store them digitally. Leave a copy with friends and family in case of emergency.
• Take enough money to cover for any emergencies, try and keep this money in different places.
• Take a money belt and avoid displaying cash in open public. The same goes for any expensive digital equipment such as cameras. 
• Never leave personal valuables loose in a hotel room, keep them locked in a safe (if available).