Types and outcomes of pharmacist-managed travel health services: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Pharmacists have an important role in providing travel health services and medications to travelers. However, given the limited literature on this topic, the aim of this study is to systematically review the types and outcomes of pharmacist-managed travel health services.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed in four electronic databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and ProQuest to identify studies published in English from 1999 to July 2022. The inclusion criteria included the studies that reported an experience of providing dedicated travel health services by pharmacists and reported the outcomes and/or evaluation of these travel health services.

RESULTS

Nine studies were identified from the literature and included in the review. The pharmacists have provided a wide range of general and specialized travel health services including pre-travel risk assessment, routine and travel-related vaccination service, prescribing or recommending medications for travel-related illnesses, counseling and travel health advice. Overall, 94-100% of the patients were satisfied or very satisfied with pharmacist-managed travel health services. In addition, a good acceptance rate of pharmacist recommendations for vaccines and travel-related mediations was reported with most studies reporting an overall acceptance rate of ≥75% (acceptance rate range: 48%-94.2%). In addition, high rates of acceptance of other nonpharmacological advices were noted.

CONCLUSION

Pharmacists with training in travel medicine have successfully provided a wide range of general and specialized travel health services. Most travelers were highly satisfied with the pharmacy-based travel health services and accepted the pharmacist recommendations.