Summer’s here and the time is right to travel! Whether your patients are traveling near or far, they may have questions about managing their health and their medications. And if they’re traveling abroad, staying healthy is especially important. So, here are four pieces of advice to share with your patients to make sure their dream vacation overseas isn’t a nightmare.
1. Crossing Borders
Be sure to tell your patients that some medications are not allowed across certain borders. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells travelers to check with the embassies of the countries they’re visiting to make sure they can enter with their medications. This includes countries where your patients may have a layover. Some countries require documentation or proof of a medical prescription. And some limit how much medication can enter the country, e.g., a 30-day supply.
2. Don’t Run Out
If your patient’s travel plans don’t align with their prescription refill dates, they may run out of meds while traveling. They can simply pick up a refill if they’re in the U.S., but that’s not the way things are in other countries.
If your patient needs a larger supply of medication, tell them to call their insurance provider and request a vacation override. Remind them to make it clear that they are traveling outside of the U.S.
3.Keep Your Meds Close
While your patient may know to carry their medication in their carry-on luggage, you might advise them to take things a step further. Put their prescriptions in two separate containers and keep them in two separate places, just in case. If your patient loses their medication, it may not be available locally. And it is darned near impossible to mail medications abroad.
4. Travel Vaccines
The CDC recommends vaccines for everyone who visits any given country, but they’re different depending on the destination. Certain vaccines may be necessary for a safari, while none may be recommended for an all-inclusive resort vacay.
By planning ahead—and planning for the worst—your patients can relax and enjoy themselves!
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PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
