Malaria Medication

We may recommend medication to help prevent Malaria if your risk of infection is high.

We currently offer the following options:

• Malarone

Malarone is considered the ‘gold standard’ for antimalarial protection.

It needs to be taken once every day, starting 1 day before you enter the high-risk malarial area, the whole time you are there, and continued for 7 days after you leave the high-risk malarial area.

We dispense Malarone directly from our clinic and the cost is $12 per tablet.

Malarone can work out expensive depending on how many of you are travelling and if your itinerary includes extended periods of time in a high-risk area.

Adverse effects to Malarone may include abdominal pain, nausea, and headache.

• Doxycycline

Also, a very effective antimalarial protection. Doxycycline is an antibiotic often prescribed for skin issues (i.e. teenage acne). It needs to be taken once daily, starting 2 days before you enter the high-risk malarial area, the whole time you are there, and continued for 28 days after you leave the high-risk malarial area.

Doxycycline is an effect and budget friendly option. The cost is the dispensing charge at your usual Pharmacy.

Doxycycline is contraindicated in people with an allergy to Tetracycline and is not prescribed to those under 12 years of age.

Adverse effects to Doxycycline include nausea, vomiting and irritation of the oesophagus. Taking this medication in the evening with your evening meal, taking with a full glass of water and remaining upright for at least 30 minutes afterwards may help reduce unwanted adverse effects.

Doxycycline may also make skin hypersensitive to the sun, so extra care is needed sun blocking etc.