Travel Clinic
Malaria Prevention and Antimalarial Tablets
A destination-specific malaria risk assessment, bite prevention advice and, where suitable, preventative tablets before you go.
- When to book
- Book 4 to 6 weeks ahead
- Options
- Options to suit your trip
- Who it is for
- Adults and children assessed
- Included
- Bite prevention advice included
About this service
Malaria is one of the most serious travel-related risks, and the right prevention depends on exactly where you are going, the time of year, how long you are staying and your own health. At Berkeley Pharmacy our travel clinic offers a destination-specific malaria risk assessment, practical bite prevention advice and, where suitable, preventative tablets supplied under a Patient Group Direction after a face-to-face consultation.
There are several different preventative options and they are not interchangeable, so we do not simply recommend the same one for everyone. Our pharmacist will assess your trip and your medical history, then match you to a suitable option and explain how to take it. We welcome travellers from Berkeley, Dursley, Cam, Thornbury and across Gloucestershire, and we can usually plan this alongside your other travel vaccinations.
What malaria is and how it is prevented
Malaria is caused by a parasite spread by the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, which bite mainly between dusk and dawn. The most dangerous form can become life threatening within 24 hours of the first symptoms, which are often flu-like with fever, chills, headache, aching muscles and sweats. Any fever during or within a year of travel to a malaria area must be treated as a medical emergency until malaria has been ruled out.
Prevention follows the ABCD approach: Awareness of the risk, Bite prevention, Chemoprophylaxis, which means preventative tablets, and prompt Diagnosis. There are several different preventative options and they are not interchangeable, because they differ in how long before travel you start them, whether they are taken daily or weekly, how long you must continue after leaving the malaria area, which is either one week or four weeks depending on the option, and which medical conditions and other medicines they can be used with. The right choice depends on your destination, the local resistance pattern, the length and style of your trip, your medical history, your other medicines, your age and whether you are pregnant.
Who this service is for
Suitable for
- Travellers to malaria risk areas in sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia, Papua New Guinea, parts of Central and South America and parts of the Middle East
- People visiting friends and relatives in their country of origin, who are often at higher risk than tourists
- Backpackers and long stay travellers
- Families travelling with children, following assessment
- Anyone unsure whether their destination carries a risk
Not suitable for
- Some options are unsuitable in pregnancy or breastfeeding, in young children or below certain weights, in epilepsy, in a history of depression or anxiety, in psoriasis, or in kidney or liver problems
- We assess all of this and match you to a suitable option, and where none is suitable we will say so and advise you
How it works
A simple, consistent process for every service at Berkeley Pharmacy.
Get in touch
Call us or use our contact form to arrange a consultation.
Consultation
A private, face-to-face appointment with our pharmacist in our Berkeley consultation room.
Clinical assessment
We review your medical history and confirm whether the service is suitable for you.
Treatment or referral
If it is suitable we treat you the same day; if not, we explain why and advise on the best next step.
What to expect at your appointment
Your appointment begins with a detailed risk assessment covering your exact destinations, rural and urban time, season, accommodation and length of stay, along with a review of your medical history, current medicines, allergies and any previous problems with preventative tablets.
- A clear explanation of the options that suit your trip, including when to start, how to take them and when to stop
- Bite prevention advice covering repellents containing DEET, covering up at dusk and dawn, treated nets and air conditioning
- Supply under a Patient Group Direction where appropriate
- A written record and, with your consent, a note to your GP
Aftercare and safety
Start your tablets at the time you have been told, which for some options is well before departure. Take every dose, including the doses after you get home, because this is when many people stop too soon, and take them with food or as directed to reduce stomach upset.
- Keep using repellent and covering up, because no tablet gives complete protection
- If you develop a fever during your trip or within a year of returning, get medical help urgently and say where you have been
- Contact us on 01453 810316 if you have side effects or lose doses while travelling
Frequently asked questions
Do I need malaria tablets for my destination?
That depends on where you are going, the season, how long you are staying and the type of trip. We carry out a destination-specific risk assessment and give you honest advice, including telling you if tablets are not needed for your itinerary.
How far in advance should I start taking them?
It depends on the option, because they differ in how long before travel you start them. Some are started well before departure and others closer to the time. We will tell you exactly when to start based on the option that suits your trip.
Why do I have to keep taking them after I get home?
You must continue after leaving the malaria area for either one week or four weeks, depending on the option, because the parasite can still be in your system after you return. This is when many people stop too soon, which leaves them unprotected.
Are malaria tablets safe in pregnancy or for children?
Some options are unsuitable in pregnancy or breastfeeding, in young children or below certain weights, while others can be used. We assess your individual circumstances and match you to a suitable option, and where none is suitable we will say so and advise you.
Do the tablets give complete protection?
No tablet gives complete protection, which is why bite avoidance is just as important. Use a repellent containing DEET, cover up at dusk and dawn, and sleep under a treated net or in a screened, air conditioned room.
What should I do if I get a fever after travelling?
Any fever during your trip or within a year of returning from a malaria area must be treated as a medical emergency until malaria has been ruled out. Get medical help urgently and always tell the clinician where you have been.
How we can supply treatment without a GP appointment
Some treatments at Berkeley Pharmacy are supplied under a Patient Group Direction, or PGD – a written instruction, signed by a doctor and a pharmacist, that legally allows our trained pharmacists to supply and administer specified medicines to people who meet defined clinical criteria, without a prescription from your GP. If you do not meet the criteria set out in the PGD we cannot supply the treatment, and we will explain why and advise you on the best next step. Our pharmacists also work as independent prescribers where that is appropriate.
Serving Berkeley and the surrounding Gloucestershire villages
Berkeley Pharmacy is on Market Place in the centre of Berkeley, with easy access from junctions 13 and 14 of the M5. We welcome patients from Berkeley, Sharpness, Newport, Berkeley Heath, Alkington, Ham, Stone and Rockhampton, and we are a short drive from Cam, Dursley, Slimbridge, Cambridge, Falfield, Charfield, Tortworth, Cromhall, Oldbury-on-Severn, Wotton-under-Edge, Thornbury, Frampton on Severn and Stonehouse. Patients also travel to us from Stroud, Nailsworth, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Tetbury and Gloucester.
Safe, regulated care from your local pharmacy team
- Berkeley Pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council. You can check any pharmacy or pharmacist on the GPhC register at pharmacyregulation.org.
- Every consultation is face to face and private, in our dedicated consultation room – not an online questionnaire.
- Serving the Berkeley community for over 25 years.
- This service does not replace care from your GP. With your consent we will inform your GP of any treatment provided. If you are unwell, have new or worsening symptoms, or need urgent care, contact your GP or NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.
- If you experience a side effect from any medicine you can report it through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme at yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk.
Page last reviewed: September 2026. Next review due: September 2027.
Treatment information
We do not advertise prescription-only medicines. Whether any treatment is suitable for you is decided at your consultation. If it would help you to read balanced, factual information about the treatments a prescriber may discuss with you, you can find it in our treatment information library.
Related services
Other services you may be interested in at Berkeley Pharmacy.
Yellow Fever Vaccination
Vaccination and the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, required for entry to a number of countries.
Find out more Travel ClinicTyphoid Vaccination
Commonly recommended alongside hepatitis A, particularly for travel to South Asia.
Find out more Travel ClinicTravellers’ Diarrhoea Treatment
The illness most likely to spoil your trip, and a standby pack so you are not searching for a pharmacy abroad.
Find out moreSpeak to our pharmacy team about malaria prevention
Visit us in Berkeley or get in touch to arrange a private consultation with our pharmacist.
Book a consultation Call 01453 810316
Address
14 Market Place, Berkeley, GL13 9BB
Opening hours
Mon–Fri 9am–6pm (closed 1–2pm)
Sat 9am–1pm
Sun Closed