Travel Clinic · Oxford
✓ NaTHNaC-aligned · GPhC-registered pharmacist

Antimalarials

in Oxford.
Prescription antimalarial tablets matched to your destination, length of stay and health profile. Malarone, Doxycycline and Mefloquine are the three first-line options — each with different schedules, side effects, and contraindications. Pharmacist consultation, prescription and dispense at any of our four Oxford branches.
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Price per dose

£2

From £2.50/day · pharmacist-prescribed
MALARONE / DOXYCYCLINE / MEFLOQUINE · PRESCRIPTION TABLETS · DESTINATION-SPECIFIC
DoseScheduleCover
Malarone1/day · start 1–2 days before£3.50/tablet
Doxycycline1/day · start 2 days before£2.50/tablet
Mefloquine1/week · start 2–3 weeks beforePrivate script
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Tablet choice depends on your destination, length of stay and health. Pharmacist consultation included.
All three options dispensed same-day where stock permits.
Clinical brief · Malaria

Three antimalarials, three trade-offs.

No single “best” tablet — your destination, schedule and tolerance decide.
Antimalarials — Travel-ready in one visit

Malarone (atovaquone-proguanil)

The first-line choice for most short to medium-stay travellers. Daily tablet, well tolerated, start 1–2 days before travel and continue 7 days after leaving the risk area. Suitable in pregnancy from 2nd trimester (with pharmacist sign-off). Most expensive of the three options at £3.50/tablet.

Doxycycline

A cheap alternative — daily antibiotic that also covers some bacterial infections. Start 2 days before travel, continue 4 weeks after. Main side effects: photosensitivity (sun-burn risk), gut upset, thrush in women. Avoided in pregnancy and children under 12.

Mefloquine (Lariam)

Weekly tablet — easiest dosing for long-stay travellers. Start 2–3 weeks before travel so any neuropsychiatric side effects appear before you fly. Contraindicated in epilepsy, depression, anxiety disorders and cardiac arrhythmia. Used less than Malarone or Doxy due to side-effect profile.
Symptoms to watch for

Symptoms of malaria.

Onset 7 days to a year after a bite. Contact NHS 111 immediately if symptoms appear after recent travel — mention your destination.

Cyclical fever

Spikes every 24–72 hours.

Severe headache

Often with photophobia.

Muscle aches

Body-wide fatigue.

Nausea & vomiting

With loss of appetite.

Severe fatigue

Bedridden in severe cases.

Jaundice

In severe falciparum malaria.

Cerebral malaria

Coma, seizures — medical emergency.

Eligibility checklist

You should book Antimalarials if…

  • You are travelling to sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia or the Amazon basin.
  • Your destination has year-round or seasonal malaria transmission.
  • You will spend even one night in a malaria-endemic area.
  • You are visiting friends and family in a high-risk region.
  • You are pregnant or planning to be — Malarone is preferred where possible.
Tablet choice depends on destination, length of stay, age, pregnancy, and health history. Mefloquine contraindicated in epilepsy, depression, anxiety, cardiac arrhythmia. Doxycycline avoided in pregnancy and children under 12.
VACCINATED MEDIPILL OXFORD
Antimalarials FAQ

Common questions, answered.

Depends on your itinerary and health. Short trips under 4 weeks: Malarone is usually first-line. Long-stay (months): Mefloquine or Doxycycline are more practical. Tight budget, short trip: Doxycycline. Pharmacist decides on the day after reviewing your trip and history.
Malarone: 1–2 days before travel. Doxycycline: 2 days before. Mefloquine: 2–3 weeks before (to test tolerance). All continue for either 7 days (Malarone) or 4 weeks (Doxy/Mefloquine) after leaving the malaria zone.
No tablet is 100% effective. You also need to: use 50% DEET repellent, sleep under a permethrin-treated bed net, wear long sleeves and trousers from dusk to dawn, avoid being outdoors at peak biting times.
All four Oxford branches can dispense antimalarials after pharmacist consultation. Mefloquine may be order-in stock — book ahead.
Specific contraindications per drug. Mefloquine: epilepsy, depression, anxiety. Doxycycline: pregnancy, children under 12. Malarone: severe renal impairment. Pharmacist screens on the day.
Malarone: usually well tolerated, occasional gut upset. Doxycycline: photosensitivity, gut upset, thrush. Mefloquine: vivid dreams, anxiety, dizziness in some users. We discuss expected side effects when prescribing.
Four Oxford branches · 1 row · book any

Find your nearest branch.

MediPill Botley

📍 9 Westway Square, OX2 9TJ
🕒 Mon–Fri 9–6 · Sat 9–1
📞 01865 247 023
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Headington Pharmacy

📍 207 London Road, OX3 9JA
🕒 Mon–Fri 9–6 · Sat 9–1
📞 01865 765 559
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MediPill Summertown

📍 227 Banbury Road, OX2 7HQ
🕒 Mon–Fri 9–6 · Sat 9–1
📞 01865 558 348
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MediPill Deddington

📍 The Studio, Hudson St, OX15 0SW
🕒 Mon–Fri 9–6 · Sat 9–1
📞 01869 337 583
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Need antimalarials for your trip?

Book online for a same-day slot at any of our four Oxford branches.
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