Do you go to your GP for this? Seems like a waste of an appointment, but looking at pharmacies etc, it seems to be hundreds and hundreds for a course for 2 adults. Is that the going rate or is there something I'm missing? Tia!
You can just buy from a chemist. worth seeing a nurse to see if there are other treatments you nees before travel though. 30 tablets cost us 50ish quid recently
Yes of course you go to you'd GP, unless you happen to be a malaria expert and know for sure which is the best form of chemoprophylaxis for you and your proposed itinerary. Even if you end up having to pay for a private prescription, you still need that assurance it's for the right thing.
And of course it gives them a chance to remind you about bite prevention, and to ask if you want further advice on travel immunisations.
Fine, Thankyou, that's what I'll do. It was my first thought but then the travel website links you to lloyds pharmacy where they say you can order direct which was working out at about £3/400 for the pair of us. Just seemed like a waste of a very in demand appointment if they were just going to signpost me elsewhere anyway. I'll try and make an appointment in the morning
We just went to our GP/ nurse travel vaccinations & malaria. They said they could do the vacinnations (at a fee obviously not on the NHS) but that we should just go to a chemist for malaria tablets as they won't give prescriptions for it
So I shouldn’t make a gp appointment? Gah! It’s so difficult to even ring and speak to anyone there, I’ll have to try during my break tomorrow. I have a Lloyd’s on my way to work but it doesn’t open until 9, I might call in on my way home.
Our practice nurse just uses the Fit for travel website to check which vaccinations are needed and which anti-malarials are recommended for each country. Asda are the cheapest I've found for non-branded generic Malarone (atovaquone/prouanil) - £1.25 per tablet earlier this year. No need for a prescription, but probably best to call first and speak to the pharmacist to make sure they have enough in stock.
Many surgeries will run a travel clinic/ travel nurse on set days. I'd tell the receptionist what you want the appointment for & they'll advise who offers the service you need locally.
Many Boots/ Lloyds do clinics for a small charge (£30 or so) plus the cost of the prescription, which might be more convenient.
It's the practice nurse that organises the travel vaccinations at our clinic. She works out which jabs and whether malarials are required and if so which ones. She then organises any prescriptions required as some are on NHS and some are private prescriptions
Thanks everyone, I will try and call the surgery tomorrow and see what they advise and call in to lloyds on the way home depending on what the surgery say - if u can get hold of anyone!
make sure that you know what the side effects of the various anti malarials can be. I have had really bad reactions in the past and now avoid malaria places. not everyone deals with them very well.
worth seeing a nurse to see if there are other treatments you nees before travel though. 30 tablets cost us 50ish quid recently