What are malaria tablets?
Malaria tablets (antimalarials) are prescription medicines taken before, during and after travel to reduce your risk of catching malaria — a serious and sometimes life-threatening illness spread by mosquito bites in many tropical and subtropical regions. They work by stopping the malaria parasite from developing in your body if you are bitten. No antimalarial is completely protective on its own, so they are always combined with measures to avoid bites. Which medicine is right for you depends on where you are going, how long for, the time of year, your medical history and your preferences. Because antimalarials are prescription-only in the UK, they must be supplied after a consultation with a registered prescriber. Our online service makes that simple: complete a short destination-based assessment, and a GPhC-registered prescriber reviews it before dispatching the right tablets in time for your trip.
How the online service works
- Tell us your trip. Share your destination, travel dates and itinerary so we can assess your malaria risk.
- Health questionnaire. Complete a short review of your medical history and current medicines.
- Prescriber review. A GPhC-registered prescriber confirms whether antimalarials are recommended and which option suits you.
- Delivery before you fly. If appropriate, your tablets are dispatched with a clear schedule for when to start and stop.
Which malaria tablets might I be prescribed?
There are three main options for UK travellers, and the best choice depends on your destination and circumstances:
- Atovaquone with proguanil — started one to two days before travel and taken for seven days after returning. Convenient for shorter trips.
- Doxycycline — started around two days before travel and continued for four weeks after. An antibiotic that also offers some protection against other travel infections.
- Mefloquine — a weekly tablet started two to three weeks before travel. Suited to longer trips but not appropriate for everyone.
Our guide comparing malaria prevention tablets explains the differences in more detail.
Do I need antimalarials for my destination?
Malaria risk varies considerably by country, region, season and the kind of trip you are taking. Some destinations need antimalarials; others need only bite-avoidance measures. Our consultation includes a destination-based risk assessment informed by NHS Fit for Travel and NATHNAC guidance, so you are advised to take antimalarials only when they are genuinely recommended for your journey.
Stay bite-safe too
Antimalarials reduce risk but do not remove it, so bite prevention is essential. Use an insect repellent containing DEET, cover exposed skin at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and sleep under an insecticide-treated net where appropriate. If you develop a fever during or after travel to a malaria area, seek medical advice promptly and mention where you have been.
Why choose Belgrave PharmHealth
We are a GPhC-registered pharmacy with genuine travel-health expertise built from our busy Sheffield clinic. Every order is reviewed by a registered prescriber, and our advice follows trusted UK travel-health sources rather than guesswork. Antimalarials start from £12. If you also need travel vaccinations, a yellow fever certificate or advice for a complex itinerary, our travel clinic in Sheffield can arrange everything in one visit.