How to Take Malaria Tablets: When to Start, When to Stop and Missed Doses
Start and stop times for each malaria tablet, how many you need, how to take them, and what to do if you forget one.
Part of our malaria guide.
Feeling ill during or after a trip? A fever, chills, sweats, headache or flu-like illness during or up to a year after visiting a malaria area needs medical help the same day: call NHS 111, see a GP urgently or go to A&E, and say where you've travelled. Call 999 if someone is confused, very drowsy or having a fit. Malaria tablets are for prevention only.
Key fact: Atovaquone/proguanil is started 1 to 2 days before you arrive and taken for 7 days after you leave; doxycycline for 4 weeks after. Stopping early is a common reason travellers get malaria.
Travelling to a malaria area?
Tell us where you're going and when, and a UK pharmacist prescriber will check which malaria tablets are recommended for your trip. Adults 18 and over, trips up to 12 weeks. Order at least a week before you travel. Approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday? Dispatched the same day by Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery.
Start Malaria Tablets Consultation →When to start and stop malaria tablets
Every malaria tablet has to be started before you arrive and continued after you leave. This is the part people most often get wrong.
| Tablet | Start | While you're there | After you leave |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atovaquone/proguanil (Maloff Protect, Malarone, generic) | 1 to 2 days before | 1 tablet every day | 7 days |
| Doxycycline 100mg | 1 to 2 days before | 1 dose every day | 4 weeks |
| Mefloquine (Lariam) | 2 to 3 weeks before | 1 tablet every week | 4 weeks |
Start counting from when you enter the malaria area, not from your flight from the UK. If your trip includes places with and without malaria, ask the prescriber how to time it.
Why you keep taking them after you get home
After an infected bite, malaria parasites spend time developing in your liver before they reach your blood. Atovaquone/proguanil also acts on this liver stage, so 7 days after is enough. Doxycycline and mefloquine only act once the parasites reach the blood, which can take several weeks, so they're continued for 4 weeks. Stopping early is one of the most common reasons travellers get malaria.
How many tablets do you need?
| Trip | Atovaquone/proguanil (2 + days away + 7) | Doxycycline (2 + days away + 28) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | 16 tablets | 37 |
| 2 weeks | 23 tablets | 44 |
| 3 weeks | 30 tablets | 51 |
| 4 weeks | 37 tablets | 58 |
How to take each tablet
Atovaquone/proguanil (Maloff Protect, Malarone, generic)
- One tablet at the same time every day.
- With food or a milky drink, which helps your body absorb it.
- Morning is fine; if you get vivid dreams, take it with breakfast.
Doxycycline
- One 100mg dose at the same time every day.
- Swallow with a full glass of water, sitting or standing, and don't lie down for 30 minutes. Don't take it just before bed.
- Take it with food if it upsets your stomach.
- Keep indigestion remedies, iron, calcium and zinc 2 to 3 hours away from your dose.
- Use a high-factor sunscreen: doxycycline makes your skin burn more easily.
What if I forget a malaria tablet?
For daily tablets (atovaquone/proguanil or doxycycline): take it as soon as you remember, then carry on at your usual time the next day. Never take two doses in one day. Missing doses lowers your protection, so take extra care to avoid bites, and finish the full course after you leave. If you've missed several doses, ask a pharmacist or doctor for advice.
If you're sick or have diarrhoea
- Atovaquone/proguanil: if you vomit within 1 hour of a tablet, take another one.
- Diarrhoea: keep taking your tablets as normal, drink plenty of fluids, and take extra care with bite prevention, as absorption may be reduced.
- Severe or persistent vomiting means you may not be protected. Get medical advice, especially if you also have a fever.
Taking tablets across time zones
Keep roughly 24 hours between doses. When you arrive, switch to taking your tablet at a convenient local time, such as with breakfast. A few hours earlier or later for one dose is fine.
How long can you take malaria tablets for?
UK guidelines allow atovaquone/proguanil and doxycycline to be used for long trips. Our online service supplies tablets for trips of up to 12 weeks; for longer stays, get advice from a travel clinic.
When to order your tablets
Order at least a week before you travel, so your tablets arrive in time to start them. We can't supply malaria tablets if you leave within 5 days of ordering. If you're leaving sooner, see a travel clinic or pharmacy in person.
Not sure which tablet suits you? Read our guide to the best malaria tablets in the UK, and for possible side effects see Malarone side effects. For the full picture of malaria risk and bite prevention, see our malaria guide.
Getting malaria tablets
Tell us your destinations and dates, and our pharmacist prescribers will supply the right number of tablets for before, during and after your trip. See our malaria tablets page.
UK safety and reporting side effects
In the UK, Malarone, generic atovaquone/proguanil and doxycycline are prescription-only medicines, and Maloff Protect is a pharmacy medicine. Before any malaria tablets are supplied, a GPhC-registered pharmacist prescriber reviews your consultation, including every destination, your dates, your health and the other medicines you take, and checks the UK malaria guidelines for your trip. Always read the patient information leaflet in the pack.
Buy malaria tablets in the UK before you travel. UK guidelines warn that antimalarials bought abroad may be fake or substandard. Only buy medicines from a registered UK pharmacy: you can check any online pharmacy on the GPhC register.
If you think you've had a side effect from a medicine, tell your pharmacist or doctor. You can also report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme, which helps keep medicines safe for everyone.
Malaria tablets are one part of travel health. Before you go, check FCDO travel advice for your destination and TravelHealthPro for vaccines and other health risks. We don't provide vaccinations, so book a travel clinic or speak to your GP practice if you need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start taking malaria tablets?
Atovaquone/proguanil (Maloff Protect, Malarone or generic) and doxycycline are started 1 to 2 days before you enter a malaria area. Mefloquine is started 2 to 3 weeks before.
How long do you take Malarone for after you get home?
For 7 days after you leave the malaria area. Doxycycline and mefloquine are taken for 4 weeks after.
How do I take Malarone?
One tablet at the same time each day, with food or a milky drink. If you vomit within 1 hour, take another tablet.
What happens if I miss a malaria tablet?
Take it as soon as you remember, then carry on at the usual time. Never take two doses on the same day. Take extra care to avoid bites, and finish the full course.
Can I stop malaria tablets early if I didn't get bitten?
No. You may not notice a bite, and parasites can take time to develop. Stopping early is one of the most common reasons travellers get malaria.
What time of day should I take malaria tablets?
Any time, as long as it's roughly the same time each day. Many people take them with breakfast. Doxycycline shouldn't be taken just before bed.
How many malaria tablets do I need for a 2-week trip?
For atovaquone/proguanil, 23 tablets (2 before, 14 while away, 7 after). For doxycycline, 44 (2 before, 14 while away, 28 after).
How long before travel should I order malaria tablets?
At least a week. We can't supply them if you're leaving within 5 days, because they need to arrive in time for you to start them.
References
- UK Health Security Agency. Malaria prevention guidelines 2026: chemoprophylaxis. gov.uk
- Malarone 250mg/100mg film-coated tablets: summary of product characteristics. medicines.org.uk
- Maloff Protect 250mg/100mg film-coated tablets: summary of product characteristics. medicines.org.uk
- Doxycycline 100mg capsules: summary of product characteristics. medicines.org.uk
Medical disclaimer: This article is for information only and isn’t medical advice. Malaria tablets need a clinical consultation before they can be supplied, and recommendations depend on your destination. If you feel unwell during or after travel to a malaria area, get medical help the same day. In a medical emergency, call 999.