Malarone

Malarone or non-branded generic atovaquone/proguanil malaria tablets available to buy online from Dr Fox pharmacy.

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Buy Malarone online in UK

How to order Malarone online for UK delivery:

  1. Read medical information about malaria and how to prevent it
  2. Answer medical questions to check for eligibility
  3. Reviewed by doctors - posted from UK pharmacy

Generic Malarone

Lower cost licensed generic versions of Malarone became available in the UK from February 2013. This is non-branded atovaquone/proguanil, also known as 'generic Malarone', and is medically identical to Malarone from GSK. Both available from Dr Fox Pharmacy.

Prices

Prices of branded and generic Malarone from Dr Fox (in stock)
Quantity (trip length) Generic Malarone cost GSK Malarone cost
16 tablets (1 week trip) £23.20 £46.90
23 tablets (2 week trip) £33.50 £63.10
30 tablets (3 week trip) £43.50 £79.30
37 tablets (4 week trip) £53.65 £95.50
44 tablets (5 week trip) £66.00 £114.40
51 tablets (6 week trip) £73.95 £132.60
65 tablets (8 week trip) £97.50 £170.10
93 tablets (12 week trip) £134.85 £218.55
193 tablets (6 month trip) £279.85 £450.00

Price match guarantee
Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

Prices of atovaquone/proguanil and GlaxoSmithKline Malarone tablets (20 February 2023), from UK online clinics - qualifying notes
*Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in table above.
  1. The prices shown are listed by the online clinics named after a customer first enters consultation information and is offered prescriptions. It is possible these clinics may have special offers or lower prices for repeat supplies.
  2. Prices may change and are, to the best of our knowledge, accurate on the date stated. All products in stock and new condition.
  3. Dr Fox does NOT claim to provide a superior service to any of the online clinics listed. All the clinics listed, as far as we can tell, comply with all regulation and, as far as we can tell, operate to high ethical standards.
  4. Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in the table (between £1 and £4 depending on value of the order).
  5. Some non POM items may be available at lower cost (OTC or P medicines) when supplied not on prescription.
  6. To amend the information in this table please contact us
  7. The prices listed in the table do not identify the cost of prescription medicine as online clinics charge a single fee to cover services which includes advice, consultations, prescriptions and dispensing and supply of treatments.
  8. Where services include free delivery this is using the slowest delivery option available. Dr Fox uses Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Malarone (generic) Dr Fox* Independent Pharmacy Simple Online Pharmacy Lloyds Superdrug
16 tablets (1 week trip) £23.20 £29.60 £24.48 £39.00 £39.00
23 tablets (2 week trip) £33.50 £42.55 £35.21 £54.00 £53.00
30 tablets (3 week trip) £36.00 £55.50 £45.95 £70.99 £65.00
37 tablets (4 week trip) £53.65 £68.45 £60.65 £88.00 £82.00
Malarone (GSK brand) Dr Fox* Independent Pharmacy Simple Online Pharmacy Lloyds Superdrug
16 tablets (1 week trip) £46.90 £43.52 £49.15 £49.00 £50.00
23 tablets (2 week trip) £63.10 £62.56 £63.50 £69.00 £70.00
37 tablets (4 week trip) £95.50 £100.64 £95.75 £88.00 £100.00
UK Delivery £2.90 £4.95 £3.20 £4.95 included

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-2 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.

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About Malarone

  • Malarone is a prescription-only oral tablet used to prevent malaria.
  • Malarone is a brand name, the active ingredients are atovaquone and proguanil.
  • Lower cost generic and non-prescription versions also available.
  • Take one tablet daily, starting 1-2 days before entering malaria zone, continue for 7 days after leaving.
  • Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.

What does it do?

Malarone is a combination drug, containing atovaquone (250mg) and proguanil (100mg). Malarone kills malaria parasites in the blood and in the liver. It is used as a preventative method against malaria caused by P. falciparum and P. vivax.

Stronger doses of the drug are used to treat falciparum malaria.

Who is at risk of malaria?

Malaria is a tropical disease carried by mosquitoes in infected areas, and is common in areas such as Southern Asia, Africa, and South America. Travellers to these places are at risk of getting malaria from mosquito bites. Before travelling, it is important to check the malaria risk for the specific country and time of year you are visiting. Consult the NHS Fit for Travel website or consult a travel medicine professional for more advice.

People who previously built up immunity by living in malaria areas can lose that immunity over time. The recommended tablets for an area can change from time-to-time.

Children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are at increased risk, and are more likely to develop severe/fatal malaria.

See a doctor immediately if you get flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature, headache, cough, body aches, shivering, and tiredness for up to one year after leaving a malaria risk area, as this may indicate a malaria infection. Malaria tablets reduce the risk but are not 100% effective.

Why Malarone?

Malarone is one of a choice of antimalarial drugs. Its simple dosage regime, which is shorter than other malaria prevention medication, means it is suitable for last-minute holidays and trips of shorter duration.

The Fit for Travel website has details of recommended malaria tablets (and other travel health advice) for each destination.

How to take Malarone

Your Malarone prescription needs to be started 1-2 days before entering an area with malaria risk. Take 1 tablet every day during your stay and for 7 days after leaving the area.

Take the tablet at the same time once a day with food or a milky drink. This helps it to be absorbed into the body, and will reduce the risk of gut related side effects. For the medication to be effective the course must be completed. It takes 7 days to completely clear any parasites in the blood from a malaria-infected mosquito bite.

If you forget to take a dose just take your next dose as soon as you remember. Then continue your treatment as before.

How effective is it?

Malarone is over 90% effective at preventing P.falciparum malaria in travellers. However preventative measures should also be taken to decrease the risk of being bitten in high-risk areas.

Possible side effects of Malarone

All medication affects patients individually, with some possible side effects being more common than others. Fewer people have side effects with Malarone compared with other antimalarials.

It is often recommended to try a couple of doses of the medication in the weeks before travel so that any side effects can be assessed and a different antimalarial taken if necessary.

Common side effects (1 in 10 people) include headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, coughing, dizziness, fever, rash or itching, insomnia, abnormal dreams, and anaemia.

A full list of possible side effects can be found in the manufacturer's patient information leaflet supplied with Malarone tablets.

What should I do if I experience side effects from Malarone?

  • Try to persevere with the medication.
  • Take it at the same time each day, with food or a milky drink. It may help to take it at bedtime or with the evening meal.
  • Stick to plain, bland food.
  • You can treat nuisance side effects with commonly used medicines. Headache can be treated with paracetamol for example. For nausea/vomiting, try an anti-sickness medication such as promethazine.
  • If you are sick (vomit) within 1 hour of taking your Malarone tablet, take another dose straight away.
  • If you feel dizzy, do not drive or operate machinery.

Who should not take Malarone?

During a Dr Fox online consultation, you will be required to complete an assessment questionnaire to determine your suitability for antimalarial medication. You should not take Malarone without further consultation with your GP if you:

  • Are allergic to atovaquone or proguanil.
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding or intend to be during your trip.
  • Have been diagnosed with severe kidney disease.
  • Are currently taking:
    • Warfarin type medicines to thin the blood.
    • Metoclopramide, used to treat nausea and vomiting.
    • Tetracycline, rifampicin, or rifabutin antibiotics.
    • Antiretroviral drugs for HIV.
    • Etoposide used to treat cancer.

If you start taking any other medicines whilst taking Malarone speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

Malarone Adult tablets are recommended for preventing malaria in people over 40kg. Malarone Paediatric tablets are available for children from 11kg on prescription from GPs, travel clinics, or prescribing pharmacists.

Dr Fox can only prescribe medicine to adults (18 years or over). Further information about malaria tablets for children.

Other measures to prevent malaria

In addition to taking recommended malaria tablets, malaria risk can also be reduced by avoiding mosquito bites.

Mosquitoes can bite at any time of day. Most bites by malaria mosquitoes occur in the evening and overnight between dusk and dawn. In contrast, dengue fever mosquitoes tend to bite during the day.

  • Wear long-sleeved clothing and long trousers if you are out at dusk, dawn, and at night. Several companies sell insect resistant travel clothing pre-treated with insecticide (permethrin).
  • Use insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin and under thin clothing, particularly around the ankles. The best strength DEET is 50% There is no added benefit to using higher concentrations. Other repellents containing picaridin 20% or lemon eucalyptus 30% are less effective than DEET and must be reapplied very frequently.
  • Insect repellent room sprays, mosquito coils, and heating insecticide impregnated tablets all reduce the risk of bites and should be used to kill mosquitoes in bedrooms before going to bed.
  • Where possible sleep in screened rooms and use a mosquito net, preferably one impregnated with insecticide (permethrin). Mosquitoes are deterred by air conditioning but not fans.

Ultrasound devices, mobile phone apps, garlic, Vitamin B, marmite, homeopathic products, tonic water, alcohol, tea tree oil, and citronella DO NOT prevent bites.

For further information see Travel Health Pro - Insect and tick bite avoidance and NHS - Malaria Prevention.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Malarone Patient Leaflet

Branded and generic Malarone

GlaxoSmithKline

Manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Malarone was originally used solely as a treatment for P. falciparum malaria until it was licensed as an antimalarial drug for preventative use in 2001. Recognised by the Malaria Reference Laboratory, responsible for setting down the UK antimalarial recommendations, Malarone is included in the published guidelines used by NHS surgeries and travel clinics throughout the UK.

Malarone was under patent protection in the UK until January 2013 when the patent was invalidated by a court, meaning legal versions of generic Malarone have been made available from other pharmaceutical companies such as Mylan and Glenmark.

Branded and generic Malarone pack photos

Malarone FAQs

Should I purchase branded or generic Malarone?

It is common practice in medicine these days, to offer patients a generic drug instead of a brand name product. The generic product contains exactly the same active ingredients and as a general rule there is no evidence that a generic product will work any less efficiently than a branded one. However, the two products, will differ slightly as they are being manufactured in different settings by different manufacturers. Some patients sometimes state a preference for a branded product. However, the decision is largely down to personal choice and your experience with each product. Generic medicines are usually significantly lower cost than branded originals. Malarone or generic atovaquone/proguanil are not usually available on the NHS and must be purchased privately.

A generic product called Maloff Protect (atovaquone/proguanil) is available to buy without prescription from a pharmacy, and is also supplied by Dr Fox on prescription.

Please also read generic medicines FAQs.

Can I get Malarone on the NHS?

Travel medicines, including malaria tablets, are considered lifestyle treatments and not available free on the NHS. Your GP will be able to write a private prescription, but may charge for this. The pharmacy will also charge a fee for supplying the medicine.

How should I store Malarone when travelling?

Tablets are supplied in blister packs and should be opened individually when needed (daily). Blister packs should be kept in the medicine box supplied along with the patient information leaflet whilst travelling. No other special storage conditions are required. Tablets usually have a 5-year shelf life from manufacture - always check the expiry date printed on the medicine pack. Keep medicines out of the reach of children.

Can Malarone be used to treat malaria?

Yes. Treatment should only be administered under medical supervision, after a definite blood diagnosis of malaria. The recommended adult dosage for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria is 4 tablets daily for 3 days.

See also malaria and antimalarials FAQs page.

Dr Tony Steele

Authored 11 July 2013 by Dr Tony Steele
MB ChB Sheffield University 1983. Former hospital doctor and GP. GMC no. 2825328

Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr C. Pugh, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 08 September 2021
Last updated 18 March 2024

References

Recent Malarone reviews

Malarone rated 4.8/5 in 50 product reviews

See over 40,000 service reviews of Dr Fox

Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil 100mg (Generic)

Standard malaria tablets that contain the same ingredients as branded tablets at a very good price.

13 March 2023
J. Moore Verified

Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil 100mg (Generic)

Anti malaria tablets. No side effects, easy to take. 50yr old female and 47 yr old male

22 May 2019
L. Chatfield Verified

Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil 100mg (Generic)

I never write reviews but Dr Fox deserves one. A great service, fast and efficient....always buy the generic Malarone which has so far for many years protected me in a very high risk area of Kenya. Thoroughly recommend

25 January 2024
J. Mowle Verified

Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil 100mg (Generic)

Excellent service

21 January 2024
H. Please Verified

Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil 100mg (Generic)

No problem experienced. No side effects noted.

29 November 2023
Anonymous Verified

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