Assemble mobile pharmacy for vacation

HOUSTON, July 9 (UPI) -- Those going on a summer vacation would be wise to assemble a medical travel kit to take along, a U.S. physician advises.

Dr. Herbert DuPont of The Center for Infectious Disease at The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston suggests getting a kit ready as part of pre-travel planning to ensure safe and healthy travel.

"Travelers, especially those with chronic illnesses, should take precaution and locate travel clinics and medical facilities ahead of time in the area they plan to visit," DuPont says in a statement. "It is also important for travelers to pack a mobile personal pharmacy."

To assemble a mobile pharmacy, DuPont advises to:

-- Place two sets of prescription and over-the-counter medications , all in their original labeled containers, in two different pieces of luggage.

-- Carry medications and a small first-aid kit for common complaints such as headaches, heartburn, cuts, scratches and colds.

-- Take along specialized items if traveling to developing tropical or semi-tropical regions. These may include medication for treatment and possible prevention of traveler's diarrhea and malaria; antibiotics for infections; and compression stockings for lengthy air travel to reduce the risk of forming blood clots in legs.