Start the conversation by anchoring advice in the patient’s actual itinerary. Ask when they last dosed, what day they usually inject, and what the travel plan looks like across the next two or three weeks. A weekly schedule makes adherence look simple on paper; in practice, check-ins, flights, hotel check-outs, and social meals make it easy to miss a dose unintentionally or to take it out of routine. It helps to agree one straightforward principle: identify a realistic injection day that will work at the destination and stick to it. If the patient is travelling across time zones, encourage them to set their reminder to the new local time as soon as they land so that “the next weekly dose” stays roughly seven days from the last one without mental arithmetic. If a dose is missed or timing becomes unclear, signpost the patient back to their patient information leaflet and Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for product-specific instructions rather than guessing; invite them to message the clinic for quick clarification.
Storage is where specifics matter, and it’s also where misinformation circulates. Different GLP-1 products have different in-use shelf lives and temperature limits, so the safest approach is to teach patients to check the official leaflet for their medicine and follow it exactly. For Wegovy® (semaglutide), the UK SmPC states an in-use shelf life of six weeks and advises that, after first use, the pen should be stored below 30 °C or in a refrigerator at 2–8 °C, with the cap kept on to protect from light; pens must never be frozen and must not be used if they have been frozen. Those details are not trivia: a festive chalet, car boot, ski lodge or sunny window ledge can exceed safe limits. By contrast, Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) supply in the UK is via single-use pre-filled pens; the SmPC explains that pens should be refrigerated but may be kept unrefrigerated for up to 30 days at temperatures not above 30 °C, after which they must be discarded if unused. Patients often travel with a mix of strengths during titration, so it’s vital they read the leaflet and check the labelled strength before packing.
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/14041/smpc
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/15835/smpc
Once the fundamentals are clear, move to “how” rather than “what”. Advise patients to carry pens in hand luggage rather than checked baggage to avoid temperature extremes and the risk of loss or delay. The NHS’s own travel with medicines advice is a helpful, patient-friendly reference: keep medicines in original packaging, carry a prescription or letter, and bring enough supply for the trip plus contingencies. For air travel, a small cool pouch with a gel pack can help on long journeys, but make the point that medication should not be placed directly on an ice block or next to a freezer pack fresh from the deep freeze; the aim is cool, not frozen. At the destination, medicines should be stored in a fridge that reliably maintains 2–8 °C, not in a minibar prone to temperature swings. If a reliable fridge isn’t available, follow the leaflet’s room-temperature rules strictly and shorten the “in-use” period if there is any doubt. When in doubt, the right advice is simple: stop, check the leaflet, ask a pharmacist, or contact the clinic rather than improvising.
https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/travelling-with-medicines/
Time-zone changes deserve a short, practical script. For westward travel, the day lengthens; for eastward, it shortens. Most patients can pick a new local time that keeps the interval close to seven days and then stay consistent week-to-week. That avoids anchoring doses to arbitrary clock times from home. Where a patient is mid-titration and anxious about nausea during a packed social calendar, it is reasonable to consider postponing the next up-titration step until after their most demanding travel days, provided this aligns with the product’s schedule and the clinician’s judgement. The aim is to preserve confidence and adherence, not to “win” December by forcing a change that will sour their association with treatment.
Because holidays come with bigger meals, unfamiliar foods and, often, more alcohol, revisit the meal-time conversation with a non-judgemental tone. Patients on GLP-1s frequently report amplified satiety; eaten quickly or paired with high-fat, rich foods, that satiety can tip into nausea. A few practical messages go a long way: slow down, prioritise lean protein and vegetables early in the meal, and decide in advance which festive foods are most worth enjoying rather than sampling everything by default. Alcohol is best discussed using the NHS’s low-risk drinking guidance rather than “rules of thumb” from social media. The guidance advises adults not to regularly exceed 14 units per week, spread across three or more days. Framing drinks against that benchmark helps patients choose what “moderation” actually means in a different country, different measures and different social norms, and it also lets you add pragmatic tips—alternate with water, avoid drinking on an empty stomach, and expect that alcohol can worsen GI symptoms in some people.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calculating-alcohol-units/
Sharps and disposal are easy to forget until they become a headache. Encourage patients to pack spare needles (for multi-dose pens), consider a travel-size sharps container, and check the destination’s rules on disposal. Remind them never to recap used needles by feel in a dark hotel room or toss them in general waste; if uncertain, they should ask a local pharmacist for safe disposal options. Travellers using single-use pens should follow the instructions on discarding the non-needle components responsibly; hotel bathrooms and holiday rentals are not designed for sharps in general waste. A two-minute demonstration in clinic can prevent needlestick accidents and arguments at reception desks.
Paperwork smooths security. A copy of the repeat prescription or a clinic letter stating the medicine name, the fact that it is a prescribed injectable, and that the patient must carry it in hand luggage typically satisfies airport security worldwide. Patients who routinely carry liquids or gels in cooling sleeves should place them separately in the tray and explain what they are before the scan. Many airports are accustomed to this and will wave travellers through after a quick visual check. The more the patient knows what to expect, the less likely they are to panic and abandon a pen at the checkpoint.
Not all problems are logistical. Some are clinical, and the festive context can mask them until they become urgent. Make sure your counselling includes red flags that should prompt immediate advice rather than “waiting to see”: severe, persistent abdominal pain, particularly if it radiates to the back, with or without vomiting; symptoms that suggest gallbladder problems; jaundice; allergic reactions; or dehydration from prolonged vomiting or diarrhoea. The Wegovy® SmPC specifically highlights dehydration risk in the context of GI side effects, and these risks can intensify with travel, heat exposure or alcohol.
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/14041/smpc
For patients who also live with type 2 diabetes and use insulin or sulfonylureas, explain that festive irregularity in meals and alcohol can increase hypoglycaemia risk; ensure they have ready access to their usual hypoglycaemia treatment and understand their personal plan. For those on oral contraceptives, remind them that certain GLP-1 products include advice about potential effects on the absorption of oral contraceptives during initiation and dose escalation; that’s particularly relevant if travel overlaps with a change in dose. Encourage them to keep their medicines leaflet handy and to contact the clinic if unsure how their scenario fits the guidance.
Long-haul destinations introduce micro-risks that are easy to manage with a checklist. Hot climates and winter sun can push room temperatures above 30 °C; cold climates can expose pens to freezing conditions on transfers and outdoor excursions. Advise patients to keep pens out of direct heat sources, away from unregulated cooling, and to store them in reliable fridges where possible. If a patient suspects a temperature breach and the leaflet says the product should be discarded, they should discard it and contact the clinic for advice rather than risk using a compromised pen.
Counterfeits remain a real risk when people are tempted by “holiday bargains”. UK regulators have repeatedly warned about falsified weight-loss products. Encourage patients to avoid buying any prescription-only medicines from social media, marketplaces or unverified websites abroad. Suspected problems can be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/
Build a small, reusable travel kit. Most patients will benefit from a pouch containing their pen(s), spare needles, alcohol swabs, sharps container, a written prescription, and a printed one-page reminder of storage rules. Suggest they set two alerts: one the day before travel (“check pens and storage”) and one at the planned injection time.
Communication during travel helps keep issues small. If your service offers secure messaging, invite patients to ask if unsure about storage breaches, timing, or symptoms. A short, timely reply can prevent anxiety and poor decisions. If capacity allows, create a simple “travelling with injectables” page on your website linking to patient leaflets, NHS guidance and your clinic’s after-hours process.
Small clinic adjustments can improve December outcomes: shifting reviews slightly to avoid peak travel weeks, offering brief nausea-prevention refreshers, or planning a safe titration timeline for patients mid-escalation. These tweaks preserve adherence and confidence during a disruptive month.
When the holiday ends, debriefing helps. Ask what went well and what didn’t, note their preferences, and build a personalised travel plan for next year. The goal is to integrate treatment into a full life—not to work around it in a state of worry.
If your team would value additional structure for these conversations, our clinicians teach this in detail. Explore our Weight Loss Courses (https://mjclinicaltraining.co.uk/weight-loss-courses/), GLP-1 training (https://mjclinicaltraining.co.uk/courses/glp-1/), Wegovy & Mounjaro supplemental training (https://mjclinicaltraining.co.uk/courses/wegovy-and-mounjaro-glp-1-agonist-supplemental-training/) and Medical Weight-Loss Mastery (https://mjclinicaltraining.co.uk/courses/medical-weight-loss-mastery/).
For tailored advice, contact us via https://mjclinicaltraining.co.uk/contact/ or reach us directly at info@mjclinicaltraining.co.uk / 07769 003219.
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