What to expect at your travel appointment
POSTED IN Travel Services
Appointments don’t have to be scary. When it comes to preparing for your next adventure, our personalized travel health services can improve your next adventure for the better and it all starts with an appointment. From the moment you walk into a Mint Health+Drugs travel clinic to the start of the follow-up process, here is a breakdown on how appointments with a Mint Health+Drugs travel pharmacist works.
When You Walk In – Where Do We Begin?
It begins with a consultation. When you arrive for your appointment and meet the Mint Health+Drugs travel pharmacist assigned to you, we’ll make a point of going over your medical history, vaccine history, any medications being taken and any medical conditions that are important to disclose.
We’ll talk about your travel plans and look over maps and international resources specific for your itinerary to provide you with education and a written plan to take home. Food and water precautions, mosquito protection, and diseases like yellow fever, malaria, hepatitis, dengue, typhoid, mers co-v, etc. as well as travellers’ diarrhea prevention and treatment will be discussed. We’re happy to provide any medications you need for those preventable diseases and illnesses as well as education on their use while away. Our pharmacists are also able to provide other non-travel related prescription medications that may be needed.
From that point on, we’ll get you set up with an immunization record. Think of it as a written record with all the vaccines you received from our clinic as well as certificates for vaccines required for entry to certain countries in case you require that.
Fees – How Much Does It Cost?
Now it’s time to address the elephant in the room—how much will all this cost? After we bill through any eligible vaccines to available insurance (if you happen to have a direct bill drug insurance plan), we provide you with official prescription receipts for all products and services discussed during your consultation. The consultation fee includes the cost of all injection fees (usually $15-20 per vaccine), the printed resources provided in the consult, and all vaccination records.
However, it’s important for us to note we want to keep your costs down when you come in for a visit—that’s why we only charge for vaccines we feel are absolutely necessary for your health and protection. We’re not going to charge for hidden fees such as writing prescriptions, issuing vaccination records, administration fees in relation to injections for vaccines and boosters or for follow up appointments.
With that said, travel consults and vaccines are NOT covered by Alberta Health. Travel health is a paid service whether you visit your family doctor or a travel clinic. Our travel clinicians have professional certification through the International Society of Travel Medicine to ensure you receive expert care.
After Your Appointment – Now What?
Follow up: if there are any follow up vaccines required (boosters, 2nd doses) our team will contact you at the appropriate times via telephone or email. Boosters may be booked online or by phone.
You may get asked by a pharmacist to leave a review on our Google page or Facebook page for the relevant Mint Health+Drugs travel clinic. We find these testimonials and reviews help keep us accountable to our patients and let us know what we need to be doing to continue providing high-quality care and service.
