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In this scenario, the student is working as a community pharmacist and must counsel a patient on rabies. The student must provide appropriate advice and answer any questions.
Please ensure that this scenario and mark scheme align with the most up-to-date guidelines from the UK NICE and the BNF when using it for your OSCE assessment.
You will need a student pharmacist and an actor for this OSCE station.
Rabies
Rabies Vaccination
Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
Travel Counselling
Travel Vaccinations
You are a community pharmacist and you have been asked to conduct a general travel risk assessment. The patient is a 36-year-old female who is seeking advice about rabies and travel health risks before taking her class abroad.
To do:
You are expected to explore the patient’s travel plans and risk factors.
Provide appropriate advice on vaccination options and prevention
Provide relevant information to counsel the patient and answer any questions.
You have 10 minutes.
You have access to the BNF.
You are Aisha Malik (AH-ee-shah MAH-lik)
Opening Statement:
“Hi, I’m taking my class abroad on a school trip and I wanted to check if we need any vaccines or precautions for rabies.”
Name: Aisha Malik
Age: 36
Address: 14 Oakwood Lane
Main concerns/Travel history:
“We’re travelling to Thailand as part of a school cultural exchange trip.”
If asked more about the travel details:
“The trip is in 5 weeks’ time.”
“We’ll be staying for 10 days in Chiang Mai and surrounding rural areas.”
“I’ll be supervising 24 students aged 15–16.”
“Accommodation will include local guesthouses and homestays with host families.”
“We’ll be doing a lot of outdoor activities, including hiking and visits to local farms.”
“I’m worried about rabies because some students may have some close contact with animals, and there may be stray dogs and monkeys around.”
“I don’t know if I need the rabies vaccine or what I would do if someone got bitten or scratched.”
“We expect to eat mostly home-cooked food with the host families, but may also eat at local restaurants or street food stalls. We’ll be travelling with large supplies of bottled water to ensure safe drinking water at all times.”
“I’m generally aware of malaria and food/water risks, but I mainly want to know about rabies.”
Past Medical History:
“I’ve got no medical conditions.”
“Some of the children have asthma, but it’s well controlled with inhalers as needed. I’ll be taking a medication box and record.”
Vaccination History:
“I’m up to date with my routine vaccinations, like childhood vaccines and COVID.”
“All of them are up to date with their routine childhood vaccinations.”
Medication History:
“We will be taking a medication box with all inhalers and emergency medications included.”
Allergies:
“I have no allergies.”
“Some children have penicillin allergies - we’ve noted these carefully.”
“I’m a secondary school teacher.”
“I don’t smoke and I drink alcohol occasionally, but I won’t be drinking while supervising the children.”
“I’m not pregnant or breastfeeding, and the kids certainly aren’t either.”
Questions to ask:
What rabies precautions and vaccinations do we need for this trip?
What should I do if one of the children or I get bitten or scratched by an animal?
How will I know if one of my students has gotten rabies?
Red Flags missed: 9
Failed missed: 1
Achieving at least 50% OR missing specific required marks.
Have you heard of Nuumad before?
Understanding how Nuumad help patients?
Recommend Nuumad to patients?
Consider using Nuumad yourself?
More resources about Nuumad?
Response saved.
Referral Criteria for Rabies:
The patient is bitten, scratched, or exposed to saliva from a potentially rabid animal (dogs, cats, monkeys, bats, or other wild animals) during travel.
Any wound cannot be properly cleaned or shows signs of local infection such as redness, swelling, pus, or rapidly worsening pain.
The patient develops symptoms that could indicate rabies, including unusual sensations at the wound site, fever, malaise, headache, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, agitation, anxiety, confusion, or hydrophobia, during travel or after return.
The patient develops fever, flu-like symptoms, or other unusual symptoms during travel or after return that could indicate a serious infection, even if pre-exposure vaccination or other preventive measures were undertaken.
NICE, 2025. Immunisations - travel. [online] Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/immunizations-travel/ [Accessed 04 January 2026].
NICE, 2024. Bites - human and animal. [online] Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/bites-human-animal/ [Accessed 04 January 2026].
NHS England, 2023. Rabies. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies/ [04 January 2026].
NHS England,2023. Vaccination: Rabies. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rabies/vaccination/ [ 04 January 2026].
NaTHNaC (National Travel Health Network and Centre). Thailand. [online] Available at: https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/221/thailand#Vaccine_Recommendations [ 04 January 2026].