8 holiday health mistakes your pharmacist wants you to avoid

The holidays have a way of disrupting even our best routines. We travel, eat differently, stay out later and sometimes leave our usual healthcare habits at home. But medicines don’t take a holiday, and seemingly small changes to how we use, combine, or store them can affect your health.^1,3

“Many medicine mistakes are avoidable if patients know what to check and when to ask for advice,” says Michael Gullan, CEO of Pharmacy Institute, an online academy providing clinical education to more than 13,200 pharmacy professionals across South Africa. “Pharmacists can help you make appropriate treatment decisions, particularly when you’re away from home and your normal routine.” Here are eight holiday mistakes every pharmacist wants you to avoid.

1. Don’t run out of chronic medication

Travel plans and routine changes can make repeat prescriptions easy to overlook. Before you leave, check that you have enough of your regular medicines for the entire trip. If you’re going to run short, speak to your pharmacist before you travel. Depending on your medicine and prescription, they can advise whether you need an additional supply or should contact your prescriber.

2. Don’t assume every OTC medicine is safe for you
Prescription medicines aren’t the whole picture. OTC medicines and other health products may also matter when making treatment decisions. Taking multiple medicines can increase the risk of interactions and other medicine-related problems, so give the pharmacist the complete picture.² 

3. Don’t leave out medicines when talking to a pharmacist
The car boot, glove compartment, or a bag sitting in the summer sun may not meet your medicine’s storage requirements. Medicines have specified storage conditions, so check the label or patient information leaflet. If you’re unsure, ask a pharmacist.^1,3 

4. Don’t combine medicines without checking
You may not need a prescription for some medicines, but that doesn’t mean every non-prescription medicine suits everyone. Pharmacists consider safety, contraindications, interactions, dosage and other precautions when advising on self-care medicines.¹

5. Don’t guess. Ask your pharmacist.

The holidays should be about taking a break, not taking chances with your health. Before you travel, check your medicines and pack what you need. Once you’re away, remember that the nearest pharmacist can be an accessible source of professional healthcare advice. 

6. Don’t wait until you get home to seek help
There is nothing silly about checking. The World Health Organization’s medication-safety campaign encourages patients and healthcare professionals to “know, check, ask” as part of safer medicine use.4 A quick question about a dose, combination, side effect or symptom could provide information you hadn’t considered.

7. Don’t leave medicines in the heat
Same symptom, different patient. A medicine that is appropriate for a friend or family member may not be appropriate for you. Treatment decisions can depend on your other medicines, health conditions, contraindications and individual circumstances.¹

 8. Don’t share medicines
“I’ll sort it out when I get home” isn’t always a good holiday health plan. Pharmacists are trained to recognise when a condition may be suitable for self-care and when symptoms require referral for further assessment.¹

Pre-travel health checklist

Before you zip up your suitcase, pharmacists recommend you take five minutes to check your medicines and holiday health essentials.

☐ Check your regular medicines¹

☐ Enough medication for your entire trip
☐ A little extra in case of travel delays
☐ Speak to your pharmacist in advance if you may run short

☐ Check your prescriptions¹

☐ Prescriptions are still current
☐ You have enough authorised repeats
☐ Ask your pharmacist if anything needs sorting out before you leave

☐ Keep medicines in their original packaging^1,3

☐ Keep medicines in labelled containers or original packaging
☐ Keep patient information leaflets where available
☐ Don’t mix different medicines into unlabelled containers

☐ Pack a medicine list^1,4

☐ Medicine name and active ingredient
☐ Strength and dosage
☐ When and how often you take it
☐ Keep a copy on your phone

☐ Keep essential medicines accessible

☐ Essential medicines in your hand luggage when flying
☐ Medicines you need during a road trip within reach
☐ Never leave medicines in a hot parked car

☐ Check storage requirements^1,3

☐ Temperature requirements
☐ Refrigeration requirements
☐ Protection from heat, moisture or sunlight
☐ Ask your pharmacist how to transport medicines requiring special storage

☐ Build your holiday health kit

Ask your pharmacist what is appropriate for you and your destination. Consider:
☐ Pain relief
☐ Allergy treatment
☐ Diarrhoea and rehydration treatment
☐ Nausea or motion-sickness treatment
☐ Basic wound-care supplies
☐ Insect-bite treatment
☐ Sunscreen
☐ Insect repellent

☐ Check before combining medicines^1,2

☐ Check active ingredients for duplication
☐ Check OTC medicines against your regular medication
☐ Ask about possible interactions
☐ Check appropriate doses

☐ Plan for your destination^5,6

☐ Check destination-specific health risks
☐ Check whether vaccinations are recommended or required
☐ Check malaria precautions where relevant
☐ Get advice well before international travel

☐ Know where to get help

☐ Save the details of a pharmacy near your destination
☐ Know where the nearest medical facility is
☐ Keep important medical and emergency contact details accessible
☐ Don’t wait until you get home if symptoms persist or worsen

One last check before you go

Take your medicines and travel health kit to your pharmacist and ask:

☐ Do I have enough?
☐ Am I missing anything important?
☐ Is anything duplicated?
☐ Could anything interact?
☐ Am I storing everything correctly?
☐ Is there anything I need to know for my destination?

Five minutes with your pharmacist before you leave could save considerably more time and worry while you’re away.