Helping your patients stay healthy this summer

From backyard barbecues and cottage weekends to international travel and outdoor adventures, summer is a season Canadians look forward to all year. It can also bring seasonal health concerns that prompt patients to seek advice on everything from heat safety and travel health to tick prevention and emergency preparedness.

As one of the most accessible health care providers, pharmacists play an important role in helping Canadians stay healthy throughout the season. To support your practice this summer, CPhA has brought together a range of resources to help you navigate common seasonal health concerns.

Staying ahead of heat-related illness

As temperatures rise during the summer months, pharmacists can play an important role in helping patients recognize and reduce their risk of heat-related illness.

• Heat and Medication: Use this resource to identify medications that may increase the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Heat-Related Illness: Use this patient infographic from CPS to help patients recognize the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, understand risk factors and take steps to prevent heat-related illness.

Summer-ready clinical resources

Patients often turn to pharmacists with questions about sun safety, tick bites, insect bites, poison ivy and other skin reactions, seasonal allergies and swimmer's ear.

• Insect Bites and Stings: Use this patient infographic from CPS to help patients prevent insect bites and stings, use insect repellents safely and know when to seek medical attention.
• Allergic Rhinitis: Use this patient infographic from CPS to help patients understand common allergy symptoms, explore treatment options and reduce exposure to allergens.

Travel health and immunization

Travel season often brings questions about vaccinations and destination-specific health risks. CPS Full Access includes resources such as Information for the Traveller, while CPhA Learning offers continuing education opportunities in travel health and immunization, including Global health, local practice: A pharmacist's guide to travel medicine.

Preparing for emergencies

Wildfires, extreme weather events and evacuations can disrupt access to health services and medications. To help pharmacists support patients and maintain continuity of care during emergencies, CPhA has developed a range of practical preparedness resources.