In addition to the advice provided in this module you should recommend that customers obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which entitles them to free state provided medical treatment whether it be for an illness or as a result of an accident when travelling to any country that is part of the European Economic Area. The EHIC replaced the previous E111 form and is free. For further information and the application form refer customers to NHS.uk.

Being prepared and receiving the right advice before going on holiday can help to reduce the risk of becoming ill and turning the dream holiday into a nightmare. Pharmacy has an important role to play in providing sound advice and helping customers to be prepared for their holiday.

If you know someone is going away it gives pharmacy staff the opportunity to link-sell items. For example if a customer comes in for insect repellent this gives you the opportunity to ask where they are travelling to and then you ca discuss what other items they may need to purchase for example anti-diarrhoea or oral re-hydration treatments. There may also be the opportunity to discuss travel vaccinations or malaria tablets if they are going to a high risk country.

By considering how you can link sell you will not only provide excellent customer service building patient loyalty and also contributing to the commercial success of the pharmacy.

If you are a Healthy Living Pharmacy (HLP) in England, why not consider completing a ‘Sun Awareness' health promotion?

You can click on this link to access the briefing sheets on NumarkNet for a variety of health promotions.

There are a range of resources available on Public Health England’s campaign resource centre.