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Before you pack your bags, pack your health. Whether it's travel advice, checking your vaccinations, your medicines or travel health essentials, our pharmacists can help you prepare for a healthier trip.

Before you go:

• See us 6 to 8 weeks before you leave for travel health advice
• Check your routine vaccinations are up to date, like flu, COVID-19, whooping cough and MMR
• Check whether your destination needs specific travel vaccines
• Check Smartraveller (smartraveller.gov.au) for health alerts for your destination
• Organise travel insurance that covers your planned activities and medical evacuation
• Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months after you return
• Going away for a while? See your dentist before you leave

Your medicines:

• Take enough of your regular medicines for the whole trip, plus a few extra days
• Keep them in their original labelled packaging and carry them in your hand luggage
• Ask us for an up-to-date list of your medicines
• Some countries have strict rules on bringing in medicines, and some need a doctor's letter, so check before you go
• Only buy medicines overseas from reputable pharmacies, as fake medicines are common in some countries
• Travelling within Australia? We can set you up with an Active Script List so you can fill your eScripts at any pharmacy

Pack a travel health kit:

• Gut health: rehydration and gut health support
• Sun and skin: SPF 50+ sunscreen, SPF lip balm, after-sun gel and insect repellent
• First aid: bandages, antiseptic, pain relief, antihistamines and tweezers
• Long flights: compression stockings, eye mask, neck pillow and ear plugs

Tip: pack a small kit in your hand luggage in case your bags are delayed.

Food and water:

• Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it
• Drink sealed bottled or treated water, and avoid ice
• Choose food that's freshly cooked and served hot
• Be careful with salads, raw food and buffet food that's been sitting out
• Wash or sanitise your hands often

Avoid bites:

• Use insect repellent regularly, and put sunscreen on first, then repellent
• Wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing
• Sleep under a mosquito net or in screened or air-conditioned rooms
• Some mosquitoes bite during the day, not just at night

Animals:

• Avoid touching animals, even ones that look well, including dogs, cats, monkeys and bats
• If you're bitten or scratched, wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes and get medical care straight away

Long flights:

• Stretch and move every few hours
• Drink plenty of water, and go easy on alcohol and coffee
• Ask us about compression stockings, especially if you've had a blood clot before

If you get sick:

See a doctor if you get a high fever, persistent vomiting, severe diarrhoea, blood in your stool, difficulty breathing, a severe rash or confusion, and tell them where you've been.

When you get home:

• If you get a fever after visiting a malaria area, see a doctor urgently and tell them where you travelled
• See a doctor if you have diarrhoea that lasts more than 2 weeks

Some travellers should see a GP or travel clinic, including anyone pregnant or planning a pregnancy, children under 2, people with complex medical conditions, long trips in malaria areas, and travel to high altitudes. We don't offer travel-specific vaccines like hepatitis A or typhoid, so we'll point you in the right direction if you need them.