Empowering Pharmacists in Travel Medicine: Enhancing Patient Care Through Vaccination, Prevention, and Education

This activity was originally presented as a part of Directions in Pharmacy 2025.

Program Description

A greater number of people are predicted to travel internationally in the coming years, increasing the risk of travel-associated infections. This session will review risk factors for travel-related illnesses, such as recognizing high-endemicity regions with disease outbreaks; traveler behaviors, such as consumption of unsafe food or water; and participation in local activities. Lack of vaccination and poor adherence to preventive measures also contribute to the problem and represent an important opportunity for pharmacist counseling. The discussion will delve into vaccine-preventable travel-related diseases, such as chikungunya, typhoid, cholera, and rabies, highlighting recent advancements in vaccine development and immunization recommendations. Practical considerations for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, including patient identification and education, risk assessment, and navigating relevant regulations, will be discussed to optimize travel health care services.

Target audience: Community, retail, and health system pharmacists

Type of activity: Application
Release date: June 16, 2025
Expiration date: June 16, 2026

Time to complete activity: 2.0 hours

Learner level: Foundational
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, pharmacists will be able to:

• Analyze the current epidemiology of prevalent vaccine-preventable and non—vaccine-preventable diseases among travelers
• Examine CDC guidelines for recommended vaccines targeting travel-related illnesses
• Explore current and emerging vaccines for the prevention of travel-related diseases, including those for chikungunya, typhoid, cholera, and rabies
• Identify the pharmacist’s role in educating travelers about disease prevention and vaccination strategies

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 2.0 contact hour (0.20 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000 25-197-H06-P and 0290-0000-25-197-H06-T. The activity is available for CE credit through June 16, 2026.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, review the activity in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Disclosures

Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, FISTM, FAPhA, FASHP, CTH has the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Speaker’s Bureau: Merck, Moderna

Consultant: Valneva, Moderna

Richard Dang, PharmD, APh, has the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Consultant: GSK

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Faculty

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education^™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Maryjo Dixon, RPh, MBA; Dipti Desai, PharmD, MBA, CHCP; Kylie Ferrentino; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; Chloe Taccetta; and Rebecca Green have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

At least one anonymous peer reviewer was used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Educational Disclaimer
CPE activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or they may be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

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