Anti-Malaria tablets - Malarone

Steve_xx

melancholly wrote: »

a lot of people would think that it's cheeky to expect free NHS time to get prescriptions for something that is a lifestyle choice not essential healthcare.... just bear that in mind!! a £50ish cost of getting prescriptions for holiday is probably nothing compared to flights/hotels.

have you tried visiting a travel clinic, as they may not charge as much (they may do, but it's worth a try).

The NHS isn't free, it's paid for from taxation. Therefore one might argue that it's cheeky for the NHS to charge twice!

Having to pay for drugs is one thing, but also having to pay a GP £9.50 each for 5 prescriptions is another.

melancholly

free as in empty... as in someone with genuine medical need can't make an appointment to see their GP because someone else is seeing them to get some pills for an expensive holiday.

and actually, the NHS is 'free at the point of use'.... that is, in fact the whole point of it! i think getting innoculations and treatment to go abroad is way beyond the remit of the services that should be provided by the NHS, which is why they charge. i'm sure the charge is something to do with the GP surgery charging back to the PCT over services and some not being able to be reclaimed.

either way, it's irrelevant - GPs charge for these services and arguing about the rights and wrongs won't change that. visiting a specialist travel service may be cheaper (to get back to moneysaving, which was the point)

Steve_xx

melancholly wrote: »

free as in empty... as in someone with genuine medical need can't make an appointment to see their GP because someone else is seeing them to get some pills for an expensive holiday.)

I'm unsure how you arrive at the conclusion that somebody requiring preventative treatment from their GP is any the less genuine than somebody who is ill at that moment. That's tantamount to saying that people who go to a GP for anti-flu jabs are not in genuine need because they're not ill when they go there.

melancholly wrote: »

and actually, the NHS is 'free at the point of use'.... that is, in fact the whole point of it! i think getting innoculations and treatment to go abroad is way beyond the remit of the services that should be provided by the NHS, which is why they charge.

So you do not consider it might save the NHS some cash if they were to provide preventative treatment to travellers, rather than those travellers having to return to the UK and perhaps having to spend several weeks in hospital, at great cost, due to them contracting some tropical disease. In this analogy one might argue that contraceptives and family planning ought not to be free.

either way, it's irrelevant - GPs charge for these services and arguing about the rights and wrongs won't change that. visiting a specialist travel service may be cheaper (to get back to moneysaving, which was the point)[/QUOTE]

Just because, some, but not all GP's charge for these things does not make it right and arguing about it may bring about some change.

Voyager2002

I had malaria last week. (I live in Africa long-term, and have been advised not to take preventative pills for all the time I am here.) It is terrible: I almost wanted to die to stop feeling the disease. And the medicine that cures malaria has side effects that feel almost as bad as the disease itself! So the cost of prevention has to represent an excellent investment.

SCROOGE

We went to Ghana some years ago and were able to obtain our supply of Malarone on NHS prescription simply because our GP took the sensible view that it was cheaper to provide the medicine than to treat the diease later. What IS annoying (as always) is the postcode lottery nature of it all. When is somebody going to sort it??? Devolution to Scotland, Wales and N Ireland has of course contributed substantially to the mess!

John_J

I am going for three weeks to South Africa in November and have noticed that we are in a high risk area (Kruger) for five of those days. The rest of the itinerary is 4 days in the Cape area (one days Pelagic amongst those four). 2 days near Colesberg, two days at the Sani Pass (& into Lesotho), three days in the St Lucia Area (calling into Karkloof for half a day before camping three days at Bonamanzi NR) two days at Wakkerstroom then the last two days after Kruger will be at Dullstroom and Pretoria before flying back from Joberg.

As far as I can work out Kruger is the only high risk area within all those places we are visiting. Do any of you know better.

I am classed as high risk as I have no spleen, plus I have angina, so Malarone is definitely the tablet that has been recommended to me.

I have been told not to buy off the internet unless it is a trusted source i.e Boots etc but do any of you know the cheapest, trustworthy place, where I can buy them.

I am going to need 14 tablets (two prior to Kruger, five in Kruger and seven after we have left there, unless any of you know if other areas might be high risk within our itinerary).

I look forward to your answers.

Regards
John

danners_2

mystic_trev wrote: »

Actually that's not true. You can buy them from Boots (yes Boots!) in Bangkok for a fifth the price they cost here. I know that, because I stock up with them when I'm there!

I would be careful - fake meds have even ended up on the shelves of UK pharmacies. Malarone is a branded medicine, so it is expensive wherever you buy it. There is a full write up on this at doctorfox.co.uk/news/where-to-buy-malarone/
These guys also provide online prescriptions included in the price of the malaria tablets if you're looking to save on the cost of a prescription

WolfSong2000

claire6hy wrote: »

i didnt take anti malaria tablets when i went to the gambia! naughty naughty!!!

I realise I'm pulling up an old quote, but this was a really stupid thing to do - Gambia has recently seen the introduction of rather more severe strains of malaria - average malaria, if treated is basically like having a nasty bout of the flu...if you're treated in time you'd be very unlucky to die from it. With the nastier strains, however, the illness becomes much, much more serious. Also if you do take medication, remember to take *all* the pills prescribed, as a ot of strains of malaria are now becoming drug-resistant, and if you don't take the full course of medication a) you're increasing your risk of getting malaria and b) it means the malaria strain mutates more quickly making it more difficult to treat.

As for the other person who mentioned hoidaymakers who were having nasty side-effects from the anti-malarials, I'd put money on the fact they were taking Larium. It causes nightmares, hallucinations and if you're unlucky permenant psychosis (a friend of my mother's now has schizophrenia and other mental health problems). Doxyxycline can make you ill if you take it on an empty stomach, as well.

Both my mother and I have had malaria (she had it when she was pregnant with me, and then I caught it again 3 times as a young child...joys of being raised in Africa for the first 5 years of my life). And this was when taking anti-malarials (just unlucky, I guess).

So yeah, if you go to an area that has malaria, even if you have taken all the required anti-malarials, etc, if you start to feel feverish/flu like within the first 6 weeks or so of getting back, go see your GP straight away - taking anti-malarials lowers the risk of catching malaria, but doesn't eradicate it completely.

danners_2

redcap425 wrote: »

Shopped today for 60 Malarone Tablets;

In Store:-

• Tesco: £137.52 (£2.29 each)
• Boots: £154.71 (£2.58 each)
• Asda: £173.90 (£2.90 each)

On-line (Including Postage)

• Stratford-pharmacy .co.uk: £123.65 (£2.06 each)
• Travelpharm .co.uk: £126.00 (£2.10 each)
• Boots £126.00 (£2.10 each)

The above prices do not include the cost of the prescription though - these are generally charged for (£15-£50) - there are a few sites that provide the prescription online as well:

• Lloyds Pharmacy - £105 for 37 tablets (4 week trip)
• Doctor Fox - £170.10 for 65 tablets (8 week trip)

travelquestion

Hi all,

There are 2 of us travelling to a malaria affected area for a period of 5 days. At Lloyds Pharmacy online, Malarone is £59.99 for a weeks worth, or £75 for 2 weeks worth.
Are the tablets a course of tablets, ie we would have to order a weeks 'course' each at a cost of £120, or canI order 2 weeks worth for me which we then share and save £45?
Any help would be much appreciated.