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About Maloff Protect
Malaria is a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes, and it's a real threat to anyone travelling to certain parts of the world. If you contract malaria overseas, you can become extremely sick with chills, fever, and flu-like symptoms — and it can ultimately prove fatal if you don't treat it quickly.
While Malaria treatments have been on the market for quite some time, you previously needed a prescription to get one, and this added needless inconvenience. But Maloff Protect is different - simply answer a few short questions about your current health and your destination of travel and our heathcare team can supply the treatment - without the need to book an appointment.
As the world's first atovaquone/proguanil over-the-counter malaria prevention treatment, Maloff Protect is already making life much easier for anyone planning a trip to an area affected by Malaria, and it’s going to play a huge part in reducing the commonality of this disease for travellers.
So if you think you might need some malaria prevention, don’t delay. You can place an order from our online pharmacy today without a prescription, with the option for next-day shipping for any UK location, and get ready for an overseas trip without any further complications.
Maloff Protect information
What is Maloff Protect?
Maloff Protect is an antimalarial with two active ingredients working in tandem: atovaquone, and proguanil hydrochloride. These ingredients have been found to work well together, with the latter making the former more effective. It also includes various other ingredients in small quantities to make up its core and its coating - check our "Ingredients' tab for full details.
Maloff Protect is the new OTC version of the well-known antimalarial tablet Malarone - a prescription-only medicine.
Why Maloff Protect is different from other treatments
Maloff Protect is one of many antimalarial treatments, but it stands out from the others. Why? Because its composition has been found so reliably safe and effective that the treatment has been approved for adults to purchase over the counter in pharmacies. Cheap malaria tablets no longer need to be hassle to get or be purchased from questionable sources, because Maloff Protect is affordable, effective, and easy to buy.
Why choose Maloff Protect?
Maloff Protect contains the same ingredients as Malarone and generic atovaquone/proguanil tablets - so why should you choose Maloff Protect?
- Price - Maloff Protect combines the best of both worlds - a trusted brand with OTC prices. You can save over £20 per person on a two week holiday by choosing Maloff Protect over prescription Malarone.
- Easy online ordering - Maloff Protect is the UK's first antimalarial tablet to be made available to the public after previously being prescription-only. It is now available from pharmacies online after answering a few simple questions about your health and your destination of travel - no more expensive trips to the travel clinic!
How Maloff Protect effectively prevents malaria
Though malaria is spread by mosquitoes, the actual culprits are the parasites transmitted through the mosquito bites — most commonly plasmodium falciparum. Both of the active ingredients in Maloff Protect act to kill the most common parasite and thus treat the disease — or, ideally, prevent it from being contracted altogether.
- Proguanil hydrochloride blocks the action of a compound that is found in the parasite
- Atovaquone interferes with the production of substances needed by the malarial parasites to reproduce
The requirements for buying Maloff Protect
To purchase Maloff Protect, you need to confirm that it is one of the recommended antimalarials for the area that you are travelling to. You can do that at TravelHealthPro.org with the following instructions:
- Click the link to TravelHealthPro.org and select the country you are visiting from the list.
- Click 'Malaria' in the banner under the name of the country. If there is no malaria listing, there is no malaria risk in that country.
- Scroll down to 'Risk Areas' - this will tell you which antimalarial is recommended for each area of the country. If atovaquone/proguanil is listed for your area, Maloff Protect is suitable for your trip!
Next you need to select the correct quantity for your trip - don't worry we've already done the maths for you! All the options above include the 9 tablets that you need to complete your course - two for before your trip and seven for after your trip. Use the following guide:
Number of days in malaria area Number of tablets required 1 - 15 days 24 tablets 16 - 27 days 36 tablets 28 - 39 days 48 tablets 40 - 51 days 60 tablets 52 - 63 days 72 tablets 64 - 84 days 96 tablets Although you don’t need a prescription to buy Maloff Protect for adult use, if you are under 18 years of age, you will need to see you GP for a prescription if you need antimalarial treatment.
Additionally, it’s strongly recommended that if you're not sure which treatment you require that you consult a pharmacist before choosing a malaria treatment, just to ensure that you make the best decision about what to buy. When you buy Maloff Protect online from The Independent Pharmacy, our healthcare team will check that Maloff Protect is right for you as part of your online consultation.
Note that Maloff Protect is limited over the counter to 93 tablets, or enough for 12 weeks in a malaria area.
Deciding if Maloff Protect is the right choice for you
Maloff Protect may be available over the counter, but that doesn’t mean it’s the treatment to use in every situation. As with any medicine, there are situations where Maloff Protect is the right choice for treating malaria, as well as situations in which you should find a different solution. Follow this process to decide:
- Check the advice for your destination. Different areas can require different antimalarial treatments owing to different malaria parasites, so you need to find out what you’re going to be dealing with. You can check this on the NHS site or Travel Health Pro. About 3 out of every 4 malaria cases in this country are caused by the parasite that Maloff Protect treats.
- Review the warnings. It’s possible that you’re allergic to an ingredient of Maloff Protect, or that a separate condition, medicine or situation could make it unwise or entirely unsuitable (liver disease, HIV treatments, pregnancy, etc.). If so, disregard the idea and speak to your doctor about an alternative option.
- Consult your pharmacist. Malaria is not something to be taken lightly, so if you're not sure, don’t settle for taking Maloff Protect and hoping that everything will work out. Speak to a pharmacist to check that you’re selecting the right treatment and come up with a plan to follow to reduce your chances of contracting malaria whilst you're away.
How to use Maloff Protect most effectively
If you’ve followed the right procedure and confirmed that Maloff Protect is definitely the correct choice for your malaria protection, then you’ll need to use it correctly to give yourself the best chance of remaining unscathed. Here’s what you should do:
- Follow the directions. Maloff Protect was created to be taken daily in accordance with the guidelines listed in the directions section. If you carefully stick with the provided advice and avoid bites, you’ll vastly reduce your chances of contracting malaria.
- Guard against mosquitoes. While malaria tablets are effective, they’re not 100% effective, and there’s no reason to take avoidable risks. Make an effort to limit mosquito exposure through whatever means are available — cover your body, sleep behind nets or screens, and use insect repellent or insecticide if you deem it necessary.
- Watch for side effects. Maloff Protect is the OTC version of the well-known antimalarial Malarone - widely thought to be the most tolerable treatment. Although side effects will be relatively rare, make sure you read our 'Side Effects' tab and if you notice any undesirable effects during your travel and go directly to a doctor as soon as you show any worrying symptoms.
You can read the Maloff Protect Patient Information Leaflet here: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.660.pdf
How to take Maloff Protect
You should get a specific treatment plan from whichever medical professional you consult, but it’s unlikely to differ much from the following basic schedule (barring exceptional circumstances):
- Take your first tablet 1-2 days before arriving at the malaria-affected area.
- Consume one tablet every day of the trip.
- Swallow each tablet (don’t crush or chew it).
- Take it alongside some food and/or a milky drink.
- If you vomit within an hour, take another tablet.
- Don’t double-down on a missed dose. Simply take it when you remember to, then return to your regular routine.
- Continue taking tablets for at least 7 days after leaving the area.
If you need malaria tablets for longer than 93 days, you won’t be able the extra tablets over the counter — you’ll need to acquire a prescription.
Maloff Protect Ingredients
The active substances in Maloff Protect are atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, with each tablet containing 250 mg atovaquone and 100 mg proguanil hydrochloride.
The core also contains the following:
- Poloxamer 188, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Low-substituted Hydroxypropyl Cellulose, Povidone K30, Sodium Starch Glycolate Type A, Silica Colloidal anhydrous, Magnesium Stearate
And the tablet coating contains the following:
- Hypromellose, Titanium Dioxide (E171), Iron Oxide Red (E172), Macrogol 400, Macrogol 8000
Maloff Protect Side Effects
The possible side effects of Maloff Protect range from major (very rare) to very mild (could appear in over 10% of all cases). Let’s look at the most major first:
- A severe allergic reaction, producing any/all of the following symptoms:
- An itchy rash.
- Swelling.
- Wheezing.
- Chest or throat tightness.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A severe skin reaction, producing any/all of the following symptoms:
- A skin rash that may blister with dark spots.
- A widespread rash with peeling skin around the face and/or genitals.
If you encounter any of these symptoms while taking Maloff Protect (and believe that you would not otherwise have suffered them, since wheezing isn’t uncommon in general), stop taking the tablets and find a doctor to review your situation.
Now we’ll look at the mild side effects:
- A headache.
- Nausea (and possibly vomiting).
- Stomach pain.
- Diarrhoea.
- A loss of appetite.
- A fever.
- A cough.
- Dizziness.
- Depression.
- Trouble sleeping.
If you experience any of these side effects as a result of consuming Maloff Protect, let your doctor or pharmacist now. The information will help their work, and they can tell you whether you should continue using Maloff Protect or stop for the time being. If you don’t mind taking a few minutes to provide some further details, also go to the Yellow Card scheme and let them know about the specifics of your situation.
- A severe allergic reaction, producing any/all of the following symptoms:
Maloff Protect Warnings
You must not take Maloff Protect if you:
- Are allergic to any of the ingredients.
- Suffer from kidney or liver disease.
- Are taking any of the following medicines:
- Etoposide, a cancer treatment.
- Metoclopramide, a nausea and vomiting treatment.
- Tetracycline, rifampicin, or rifabutin (antibiotics).
- Indinavir, efavirenz, zidovudine or other any protease inhibitor for HIV.
- Any coumarin-based anticoagulant, or any newer oral anticoagulant such as dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban, or apixaban, all treatments for blood clots.
You must request and receive a prescription from a doctor if you:
- Are breastfeeding and/or pregnant.
- Are under 18 years old.
- Weigh under 40kg.
- Have suffered from epilepsy, convulsions, and/or fits.
- Suffer from depression.
- Have tuberculosis.
Maloff Protect is not a definitive solution for the threat of malaria, so don’t make the mistake of assuming that you’re perfectly safe. To make malaria as unlikely as possible, you must mix effective antimalarial medicine with sensible practical precautions.
Maloff Protect reviews
Maloff Protect FAQs
Maloff Protect starts from just £43.99 for 24 tablets - enough for a two week holiday. That's cheaper than Boots, Lloyds and other major pharmacies. It's also over £20 cheaper than branded prescription Malarone tablets!
Yes, in the UK, Maloff Protect is available without a prescription and can be bought over-the-counter. Just speak to a pharmacist or order online before your trip. Maloff Protect has been proven to be a safe and effective antimalarial that can be supplied directly to the public from pharmacies, chemists, and online.
You can purchase Maloff Protect over the counter at a pharmacy or over the internet for better pricing and convenience. Since we offer exceptional rates, professional advice, unlimited support, and next-day shipping to anywhere in the UK, the best place to buy is right here.
If you’re travelling from a region with little or no malaria, then yes. Living for an extended period in a malarial region (or even being a native of such a region) does eventually cause you to build up a resistance against malaria, but when you move elsewhere, that resistance rapidly fades. We would never advise visiting a malaria-risk area without adequate antimalarial protection.
Here are some recommended methods for keeping mosquito bites to a minimum:
- Use insect repellent that contains either DEET in a >20% concentration or IR3535 on exposed skin.
- Cover as much body as you can, particularly early in the morning and late at night.
- Use window/door screens and nets to keep mosquitoes out.
- Keep doors and windows closed at night where possible.
- Sleep in cool conditions (mosquitoes prefer heat).
- Use insecticides if appropriate for the situation.
No suggestions have been made that alcohol causes issues with the effectiveness or safety of Maloff Protect, but keep in mind that getting drunk can impair your judgement (potentially causing you to miss tablets) and vomiting after consuming a tablet will require you to take another one, possibly causing you to have supply issues.
As with any medicine, we would advise you to drink in moderation when taking Maloff Protect.
Unfortunately, no. If you’re pregnant (or even just breastfeeding) and planning a trip to an area affected heavily by malaria, consult a doctor for some advice on what treatment options are available in your case.
You can order 93 tablets per person - enough for a 12 week visit to a malaria area. Anything beyond that will require a prescription, so visit our Malarone or generic atovaquone/proguanil pages for more information.
There are five species of Plasmodiumparasite:
- Plasmodium falciparum.
- Plasmodium vivax.
- Plasmodium ovale.
- Plasmodium malariae.
- Plasmodium knowlesi.
Plasmodium falciparum causes the most threatening form of malaria. The vivax, ovale and malariae species cause mild malaria, and the knowlesi species doesn’t typically affect humans.
Maloff Protect contains proguanil hydrochloride, which stops the malaria parasite from acting, and atovaquone, which slows the production of materials needed for the parasite to reproduce. Working in combination, they are highly effective.
Malaria parasites can linger in the bloodstream, and symptoms of infection can take a long time to appear in someone who has contracted malaria. By taking Maloff Protect for a week after you’ve left the malaria-affected area, you’ll practically ensure that all parasites remaining in your system are killed off, leaving you in the clear.
Still unsure about this treatment?
Ask our medical team for impartial information and advice about any treatment we provide or medical condition that we treat before you buy.
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