With more and more people taking winter holidays, pharmacy is well-placed to offer advice and meet all their travel needs

As winter approaches, many pharmacy customers will be looking for some sun or adventure. According to ABTA, more than 12 million Britons took a winter holiday in 2014. More than 40 per cent of those people headed to sunnier climes, while a further 18 per cent took a winter sports holiday.

At this time of year, doctors’ surgeries are often filled with cold and flu patients, and winter travellers may struggle to get an appointment to discuss their travel health needs. Pharmacies are often the first port of call for vaccination or antimalarial advice and over-the-counter holiday health products. So it’s important that pharmacy staff keep up to date with the latest requirements.

To help healthcare professionals access the latest information, the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) recently relaunched its website, with updated guidance and country information. “Increasing numbers of pharmacists and pharmacy chains now provide travel health advice and vaccinations to travellers,” says Dr Lisa Ford, consultant physician in travel medicine, NaTHNaC and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. “We provide free information for all, with no subscription charges. The NaTHNaC website has recently been updated and is now called TravelHealthPro.

“NaTHNaC is commissioned by Public Health England and works with a network of institutions. The website provides up-to-date country-specific and disease-outbreak surveillance information. The user-friendly fact sheets are evidence based with references included for those who want to read more. NaTHNaC also provides training and administers all yellow fever vaccination centres in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and there’s a telephone travel health advice line for healthcare professionals.”

Holiday health advice

Health problems can strike on any type of holiday. So customers should pack for all eventualities, such as minor accidents, stomach upsets and allergies. “Many health problems occur due to ignorance, misadventure, accidents and lack of immunity,” says Michael Stewart, Numark’s information pharmacist. “Most problems can therefore be prevented with a little bit of planning.” This is where community pharmacy comes in.

“Being prepared and receiving the right advice before going on holiday can reduce the risk of becoming ill and turning a 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. Since holidays are taken all year round, pharmacies should keep a smaller range of holiday health products throughout the year for those customers looking for some winter sun.”

Diarrhoea is probably one of the most common holiday health complaints, and is usually caused by poor sanitation or eating exotic foods. Customers may wish to pack oral rehydration therapy sachets, such as Dioralyte. Dioclear from Kent Pharmaceuticals is a new natural solution for diarrhoea that can be used alongside oral rehydration therapy for all of the family. It contains diosmectite, a natural silicate of aluminium and magnesium.

“When you are travelling and you are far from any doctors, don’t know the medicines available and don’t speak the language, diarrhoea is the last thing you want,” says Juliette Holmes, marketing manager at Kent Pharmaceuticals.

“Dioclear is a brand new solution that treats diarrhoea fast from the first sachet. It works on the cause of the problem, whatever it is (from bacteria to chronic condition), and supports your body to fight the infection quicker. Unlike current solutions available, it doesn’t have any side effects and can be used by all, even pregnant women, babies from one year and people suffering from IBS or Crohn’s disease. It is easy to carry, compact and fast acting.”

 

Backpacking essentials

If customers are going off the beaten track, they may need to pack extra supplies. “Pharmacists should suggest that customers take a first aid kit with them, whether it’s pre-prepared or individual items,” says Mr Stewart.

“The recommended contents for a first aid kit will depend on where the person is travelling to. A basic kit that contains antiseptic cream, plasters and antiseptic wipes will often suffice when travelling in Europe or to developed countries. But if someone is going on a more adventurous holiday, such as trekking through the Amazon, they will need a more comprehensive kit that contains items such as sterilised syringes, sutures and clean needles.”

Pharmacy is often the first port of call for patients who want advice on malaria prevention. Numark has produced an online malaria and vaccinations guide for member pharmacies, available on NumarkNet, with advice updated as soon as it becomes available. Many malaria cases are a result of people not taking antimalarial tablets or taking the wrong antimalarials.

“Customers who originate from countries where malaria is endemic shouldn’t assume that they have immunity. Any immunity acquired to malaria is relatively short-lived,” says Mr Stewart. “And no matter which antimalarial treatment a customer takes, it is very important that they complete the full course,” he emphasises.

 

Skiing essentials

Winter sports holidays are particularly popular with young travellers, especially those aged 16 to 24. “If a customer is planning a winter trip this year, the cold weather and conditions might not be on their side, so it’s important to pack a first aid box with items that can help with various situations,” says Denika Fletcher, brand manager at Thornton & Ross.

“Movelat is effective for local relief of pain and inflammation caused by rheumatic and muscular pain, stiffness, sprains, strains and mild arthritic conditions. It offers a strong self-care option for customers who are going backpacking or skiing this winter.”

Many people forget to pack sun protection if they’re going on a skiing holiday. Yet it’s possible to get sunburnt at any time of year, particularly at high altitude. Customers need to ensure that any exposed skin, especially the face, is protected with sunscreen. Small portable bottles, such as Mustela Very High Protection Sun Face Lotion 40ml, can be easily popped into a ski jacket for top-ups of sensitive areas, such as noses, on the slopes.

Dry, flaky skin can also be a problem in cold environments. “Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream is particularly suitable during the winter when cold, harsh conditions damage and dry out the skin,” says Nick Lang, Sudocrem senior brand manager. “It can be used to calm, soothe and heal winter skin conditions for youngsters and adults with sensitive skin during the cold months. Available in various sizes, starting at a 60g tub, it’s ideal for travelling or keeping in a backpack while out on the slopes skiing or on a winter hike.”

Comment

 

Rena Dadra, Village Pharmacy, Harlington “We don’t have huge numbers in for advice in this category, but we do have people coming in for the over-the-counter malaria products – usually sent over by their GP. I follow the NPA guidelines and I also phone to double-check. This is mostly for young children. Some adults don’t ever buy for themselves, just for their children. Despite that, I always tell people that the adults need to take malaria prevention as well if they’re going into a malaria-prone area. It’s frustrating when people won’t pay when catching malaria is so dangerous. With the success of the new flu vaccination, we want to offer a travel clinic as well. It’s a matter of finding the time to go to do the training, but we do plan to offer this in the future.”