Our friendly team is available to help Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm.
If you need urgent assistance, do not use this service. Call 111, or in an emergency call 999.
Get sore throat treatment online from a GPhC-registered UK pharmacy, without a GP appointment. Complete a short online consultation to find out whether Difflam spray or rinse, antibiotics for suspected bacterial infections such as strep throat or tonsillitis, or self-care may be appropriate.
Your symptoms, how long you’ve had them, your temperature and your medicines
A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks your answers and recommends a suitable option
Dispatched from our UK pharmacy by Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day
A sore throat causes pain, scratchiness or irritation, often worse when swallowing. Most are caused by viruses and improve within a week without antibiotics.
Treatment aims to relieve pain while the throat heals. Options include paracetamol, ibuprofen and Difflam sore throat spray. Antibiotics may help bacterial infections such as strep throat and some cases of tonsillitis. Read our sore throat guide for more on causes and symptoms.
NICE guidance (NG84) recommends assessing how likely a sore throat is to be caused by bacteria before considering antibiotics. Prescribers may use the FeverPAIN score to help guide treatment decisions.
Usually viral, especially with a cough, runny nose or cold symptoms. Antibiotics won’t help. Paracetamol or ibuprofen, fluids and rest are the mainstay.
How to get rid of a sore throatBenzydamine relieves throat pain and inflammation within minutes for viral or bacterial sore throats.
Difflam for sore throat: how it worksFever, tonsil pus or white patches, tender swollen glands, no cough and rapid onset increase the FeverPAIN score. Phenoxymethylpenicillin is first-line for 5 days; clarithromycin may be used for penicillin allergy.
Best antibiotic for a throat infectionA sore throat that doesn’t settle, or keeps returning, needs a face-to-face assessment.
Sore throat that won’t go awayMost sore throats improve with pain relief and time. We supply Difflam spray and oral rinse for painful swallowing. If a bacterial throat infection is likely, a prescriber may recommend antibiotics: phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V) first-line, or clarithromycin for penicillin allergy. A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your online consultation and advises if treatment is needed. Prices include the consultation. Read our guide to antibiotics for a sore throat.
| Treatment | Type | Best for | From price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difflam Sore Throat Spray (benzydamine) | Pharmacy medicine (P) | Targeted pain relief on the go | From £8.99 |
| Difflam Oral Rinse (benzydamine) | Pharmacy medicine (P) | Pain across the throat and mouth | From £9.99 |
| Clarithromycin | Prescription-only (POM) antibiotic | Likely bacterial infection if you’re allergic to penicillin. 5-day course (shorter than the licence, so off-label; follows NICE) | From £14.99 |
| Phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V) | Prescription-only (POM) antibiotic | Likely bacterial infection: NICE first choice, 5-day course | From £23.99 |
Not sure which treatment is right for you?
Online treatment isn’t suitable if you have any of the following. Get help straight away.
Our online sore throat treatment service, including Difflam and antibiotics, is for adults aged 18+ and isn't suitable during pregnancy or for emergencies.
You'll be asked about your symptoms, duration, temperature, allergies and medicines. Some medicines, including simvastatin and certain heart medicines, can interact with clarithromycin. A prescriber will advise if antibiotics aren't needed. Read our guide to sore throat vs strep throat to learn more about the signs.
In England, NHS Pharmacy First offers free sore throat advice and treatment to eligible people aged 5+, through participating community pharmacies. Alternatively, a private online consultation offers convenient access to assessment and, if appropriate, treatment delivered to your door.
Orders are dispensed by our GPhC-registered pharmacy. Report side effects to your pharmacist or doctor, or through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.
Our doctor-reviewed guides help you understand your symptoms, choose the right treatment and know what to expect.
Our full guide, from viral vs bacterial to warning signs.
Read guidePenicillin V, clarithromycin, and why not amoxicillin.
Read guideWhen antibiotics help, and why most people don’t need them.
Read guideHow prescribers tell them apart.
Read guideSymptoms, viral vs bacterial, and treatment.
Read guideSymptoms, treatment and complications.
Read guideDose, course length and how it works.
Read guideThe option if you are allergic to penicillin.
Read guideHow the spray and rinse work, and how to use them.
Read guideRemedies ranked by evidence.
Read guideCauses and when to worry.
Read guideView the sore throat condtions page for more information
Read guideStrep throat and bacterial tonsillitis are the main reasons an antibiotic is prescribed for a sore throat.
Strep throat is a sore throat caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria. Tonsillitis means inflamed tonsils; it is usually viral, but sometimes bacterial. In both cases our prescriber uses the same FeverPAIN checks as NHS clinicians to decide whether an antibiotic is likely to help.
If it is, we supply phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V) as a 5-day course, or clarithromycin if you are allergic to penicillin. If it isn’t, we’ll tell you and suggest what will ease the pain instead. Read more about strep throat symptoms and treatment and tonsillitis, or how to tell a sore throat from strep throat.
Get same-day help instead of ordering online if you have severe pain on one side of your throat, difficulty opening your mouth or a muffled voice. These can be signs of quinsy, an abscess next to the tonsil.
It takes a few minutes. We ask about your symptoms, your health and your other medicines, because not every treatment suits everyone.
Tell us about your sore throat
Tell us how long you’ve had it, whether you have a fever, a cough or cold symptoms, any allergies and every medicine you take.
A prescriber reviews it
A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber checks your answers against NICE guidance. If an antibiotic isn’t needed, they’ll tell you and suggest what will help instead.
Your treatment is dispatched
If approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday, it’s dispatched the same day in plain packaging. You choose Royal Mail Tracked 48, Tracked 24 or Special Delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day. Delivery is free on orders over £40.
We’re here if it doesn’t improve
If you’re not starting to feel better after 3 days of an antibiotic, or you feel worse at any point, contact us or your GP.
Answers about getting sore throat treatment online, what it costs and who it’s for.
Yes. Complete a short online consultation and a GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber reviews your answers. If treatment is appropriate, it is dispensed by our UK pharmacy and sent in plain packaging. There’s no need for a GP appointment, and completing a consultation doesn’t guarantee treatment.
Do I need antibiotics for a sore throat?”, word for word ST02’s FAQ) No. Most sore throats are caused by a virus, and antibiotics don’t help viral infections. Your prescriber checks your symptoms, including fever, white patches on your tonsils, swollen glands and whether you have a cough, and only prescribes an antibiotic if a bacterial infection is likely. If you don’t need one, they’ll tell you and suggest what will help instead, such as Difflam spray or rinse. Our guide to whether you need antibiotics for a sore throat explains more.
If an antibiotic is right for you, we supply phenoxymethylpenicillin (penicillin V), the first choice in UK guidance, as a 5-day course of 500mg four times a day. If you are allergic to penicillin, we supply clarithromycin 250mg twice a day for 5 days. This follows NICE guidance but is shorter than the course in the product licence, so it is an off-label course length. Our guide to the best antibiotic for a throat infection explains why amoxicillin isn’t usually used.
Difflam spray starts from £8.99 and antibiotics from £14.99, and the price includes your online consultation. You see the price of each treatment before you pay,
Orders approved before 3pm, Monday to Friday, are dispatched the same day in plain packaging, and you choose the delivery speed at checkout. Royal Mail Tracked 48 and Tracked 24 aim to arrive within two or one working days, and Special Delivery is guaranteed by 1pm the next working day.
Our online service isn’t suitable during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, please speak to your midwife, GP or a pharmacist, who can treat you with your maternity record in front of them. If you’re breastfeeding, tell us during your consultation and your prescriber will decide whether online treatment is suitable or whether you should be seen in person.
Often, yes. In England, people aged 5 and over can get sore throat advice and treatment from a community pharmacy through the NHS Pharmacy First service, or from their GP. Our online service is an alternative if you’d rather not wait for an appointment.
Yes, if you are an adult aged 18 or over. Strep throat and bacterial tonsillitis are treated with the same antibiotics as other bacterial sore throats, so the consultation is the same. Your prescriber will check your symptoms and supply phenoxymethylpenicillin, or clarithromycin if you are allergic to penicillin, if a bacterial infection is likely. If you have severe pain on one side of your throat, difficulty opening your mouth or a muffled voice, get same-day help instead, as this can be a sign of quinsy.
NICE NG84. Sore throat (acute): antimicrobial prescribing. nice.org.uk/guidance/ng84
NHS. Sore throat. nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat
NHS England. Pharmacy First: sore throat phenoxymethylpenicillin patient group direction (age 5 and over).
Helpful reads related to this treatment area.
Complete a short online consultation. A GPhC-registered pharmacist independent prescriber will recommend what fits your symptoms, and only prescribes an antibiotic if you need one.
