Jet Lag Advice and Treatment

About this service

Crossing three or more time zones can leave your body clock still running on home time, which is frustrating when you have a holiday, a meeting or a tight schedule waiting for you on arrival. At Berkeley Pharmacy our travel clinic offers practical jet lag advice and, where it is suitable for you, a short course of treatment supplied under a Patient Group Direction after a face-to-face assessment.

We look at your flight times, the direction you are travelling and what you need to be doing when you land, then build you a simple day-by-day plan for the days before you fly, the flight itself and your first days at your destination. We welcome travellers from Berkeley, Dursley, Cam and the wider Gloucestershire area, and we can usually fit this into the same appointment as your travel vaccinations.

What jet lag is

Jet lag happens when your body clock is still on home time after crossing three or more time zones. It causes difficulty sleeping, daytime sleepiness, poor concentration, irritability, indigestion and low mood. Travelling east is usually harder than travelling west because you are asking your body clock to move forward, and as a rough guide the body adjusts at about one time zone per day without help.

The most effective measures are shifting your sleep schedule before you fly, getting light at the right time of day at your destination, keeping well hydrated, going easy on alcohol and caffeine, eating meals on destination time and keeping any daytime naps short. Where it is appropriate, a short course of treatment to help reset the body clock may be considered following a consultation and assessment.

Who this service is for

How it works

A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.

What to expect at your appointment

Your appointment is private and face to face in our Berkeley consultation room. We look at your flight times, direction of travel, number of time zones and what you need to be doing on arrival, and we review your medical history and current medicines.

• We build you a simple day-by-day plan for before you fly, the flight and your first days at your destination, including when to seek light and when to avoid it
• If treatment is suitable we discuss the options with you and can supply it at the same visit
• We can do this in the same appointment as your travel vaccinations

Aftercare and safety

Follow the light and sleep timings in your plan, since these do most of the work. Keep naps to twenty or thirty minutes and avoid them late in the day, stay hydrated and be careful with alcohol on the flight.

• If you have been given treatment, take it exactly as directed and do not drive or operate machinery if it makes you drowsy
• Use the same plan in reverse for the journey home
• Call us on 01453 810316 if anything is unclear before you fly

Frequently asked questions

How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment

Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.

Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages

Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.

• Berkeley
• Sharpness
• Newport
• Berkeley Heath
• Alkington
• Ham
• Stone
• Rockhampton
• Cam
• Dursley
• Slimbridge
• Cambridge
• Falfield
• Charfield
• Tortworth
• Cromhall
• Oldbury-on-Severn
• Wotton-under-Edge
• Thornbury
• Frampton on Severn
• Stonehouse
• Stroud
• Nailsworth
• Yate
• Chipping Sodbury
• Tetbury
• Gloucester

Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team

• Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
• Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
• Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
• This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
• If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.

Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.

Related services

Other services you may be interested in at Berkeley Pharmacy.

Planning a long-haul flight with a heart condition? Heart Fit to Fly provides fit-to-fly letters reviewed by a consultant cardiologist.

Speak to our pharmacy team about jet lag advice and treatment

Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.

Book a consultation Call 01453 810316

Address

14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB

Opening hours

Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)

Sat 9am–1pm

Sun Closed