Allison Eikenberry

I am honored to receive an Incentive Grant from the APhA Foundation. This grant will assist me in implementing a new service at my practice site that will allow pharmacists to practice to the fullest extent of their training while providing accessible care to patients with upcoming travel.

My motivation for this project is rooted in a passion for providing innovative clinical services in the community setting and an interest in travel medicine. The CDC recommends that all international travelers meet with a travel health specialist at least 4-6 weeks before departure.

These appointments help travelers enter their trip prepared to manage preexisting conditions, mitigate travel-related health risks and handle unexpected emergencies while abroad. Pharmacies are perfectly situated to provide convenient travel health consultations that include counseling, vaccine administration, and medication dispensing all in one visit.

The Pharmacy Practice Act in Iowa was recently updated to a Standard of Care model, which gives pharmacists leeway to engage in practice that is consistent with their training. I am excited to leverage the Standard of Care model to offer full-service travel health consultations in an independent community pharmacy without the need for a collaborative practice agreement.