Malarone

What is Malarone?

Malarone is is a treatment widely used to prevent malaria. If you are travelling to a destination that is a high-risk area for malaria, you should take Malarone tablets before, during and after you come back from your trip.

It is a branded antimalarial medication that contains two active ingredients, atovaquone and proguanil. These ingredients prevent you from developing malaria from mosquito bites, which are very common in tropical countries. Mosquito bites can pass malaria straight into the bloodstream.

To buy Malarone, you must have been prescribed it by a doctor.

What is Malarone used to treat?

Malarone tablets are taken to prevent catching the tropical disease malaria when you travel to a destination that is designated a high risk area. They are also an effective treatment for malaria if you catch it while abroad.

Why is Malarone recommended to treat malaria?

Recent studies have shown that certain strains of malaria are becoming resistant to antimalarial medicines. Malarone has been found to be a vauable medicine for cases where an intolerance to other antimalarials has built up. 

Malarone has also been found to produce a minimal risk of side effects in people who take it. 

How effective is Malarone at preventing malaria?

Clinical studies have shown Malarone to be over 95% effective at preventing malaria. The study concluded that Malaria is a highly effective treatment against malaria infection when compared to other antimalarial drugs.

How does Malarone work?

Malarone’s two active ingredients, proguanil hydrochloride and atovaquone, work by stopping any malaria parasites that may have entered your blood or the liver from being able to reproduce and spread.

Who should not take Malarone? 

Malarone is an effective malaria prevention and treatment medicine, but it is not suitable for everyone to take.

Do not take Malarone tablets if you are allergic to atovaquone, proguanil hydrochloride or any of the other ingredients contained in these tablets.

Do not use Malarone to prevent malaria if you have severe kidney disease.

Speak to your doctor before taking Malarone if any of the following apply to you:

• You have severe kidney disease
• Your child weighs less than 11 kg and is being treated for malaria

Always read the patient information leaflet for full details.

Do I need a prescription to buy Malarone?

Yes, Malarone is a prescription-only medicine (POM), so you cannot buy it over the counter. If you are travelling to a destination that carries a risk of malaria, speak to your doctor, who will be able to prescribe this medication for you.

Can you buy Malarone online in the UK?

You can buy Malarone tablets online from Medicine Direct's online pharmacy after you have completed a confidential online consultation. As this is a prescription medicine, one of our certified doctors, pharmacists or prescribers will need to make sure that it is safe for you to take.

As with any medicine, you should only buy Malarone from licensed and regulated pharmacies. 

Can you buy Malarone over the counter?

Malarone malaria tabelts are a prescription only treatment, meaning it has to be prescribed by a doctor or pharmacist. Malarone can not be purchased over the counter, however it can be bought online following an online consultation with a UK prescriber.

Malarone alternatives

Malarone is available as both a branded and generic version. Both medicines work to treat and prevent malaria, although the generic version is cheaper than the branded one.

Lariam tablets are also available to buy from Medicine Direct. Lariam is a highly renowned antimalarial medication and is effective in certain regions where malaria has grown resistant to other forms of medicine. This medicine should be taken once a week.