The Pharmacy-Approved Guide to a Worry-Free Vacation

Summer is officially in full swing, which often means summer travel. Whether it’s a family vacation to the beach, a camping trip in the woods, or a more exotic destination, it’s important to think ahead for non-emergency medical issues that may arise. Be prepared with more than just bandages and triple antibiotic ointment. Patients should consider assembling a travel medical kit and their local pharmacy is the perfect starting point. Be prepared to help your patients with their individualized needs for their summer trip.

When assembling your travel medical kit, it’s important to consider your patient demographic and destination. For families packing up the minivan, it might not be a big deal to cover just the basics. However, for individuals traveling to a more remote destination without a pharmacy or convenience store, consider the most common ailments while maximizing space to ensure their preparation doesn’t become a burden.

Families with young children often experience motion sickness from long car rides and backseat riders are more likely to experience these symptoms. Consider non-pharmacological tips, like reminding passengers to look straight ahead, not down at a book or screen, and to sit in the front seat or middle of the backseat, if possible. For those with known motion sickness issues, prevention is always better than treatment.

Another consideration for families with young children is the mess of traveling with sticky syrup. Chewable or dispersible tablets are less messy and easier to transport for common needs, like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Travel to more remote locations should primarily focus on water-borne and mosquito-borne illness prevention. Bug sprays with DEET or picardin at a concentration of 20% are the most effective. If traveling to heavily forested areas, skin barriers like long sleeves and pants and a netted hat are also advised.

It is helpful to be aware of different water purification methods, such as pumps, bottles, chemical or UV light methods and which treat protozoa, bacteria, or viruses. Any counseling should also address worst case scenarios the traveler may experience and how to best triage until they can be seen at a medical clinic. Consider unlikely, but potentially serious things like significant burns, large bleeding wounds, or a heart attack.

Travel is a fun part of summer and pharmacies can help their patients make the most of these experiences by being prepared, whether the trip is near or far.