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Atovaquone/Proguanil to Become Available Without Prescription

07 July 2017

On the 3 July 2017 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that one preparation of the anti-malarial drug Atovaquone 250mg/Proguanil hydrochloride 100mg, sold under the brand name of Maloff Protect, has been reclassified from a prescription only medicine (POM) to a Pharmacy (P) medicine in the UK. This means that certain categories of traveller will soon be able to purchase this drug over the counter (OTC) from a pharmacy, without a prescription. Following discussion with a pharmacist:

  • The tablets will be available to adults aged over 18, weighing more than 40kg, travelling to areas affected by malaria and where the malaria parasite is not resistant to the Maloff Protect ingredients.
  • The maximum duration of travel for which Maloff Protect can be supplied without prescription is 12 weeks (93 tablets). For longer durations of travel, advice should be sought from a doctor or other qualified prescriber.

For individuals who fall out with these criteria, for example children and long stay (>3 months) travellers, Atovaquone/Proguanil still requires to be prescribed by a qualified prescriber before it can be dispensed.

Malaria prophylaxis is just one element of pre-travel preparation and it is important that travellers obtain a full travel consultation and individual risk assessment prior to their trip. If a pharmacy is unable to provide this, they should direct the traveller to where they can receive such advice.

A link to the press release can be found here