The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 272 No 7302 p704
5 June 2004

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· The Society
· Malaria awareness
· PI insurance
· Statins
· Methadone maintenance
· The Journal

Letters to the Editor

Malaria awareness

It may be appropriate to record supplies of antimalarials

From Professor L. I. Goodyer, MRPharmS

On 26 May a new malaria awareness campaign (www.malariahotspots.co.uk), aimed at the travelling public, was launched by Sir Ranulph Fiennes in London. A large number of leaflets are to be sent to pharmacies and GP practices throughout the UK carrying a message that people should see their GP, practice nurse or pharmacist before travel regarding advice for protecting themselves against malaria.

I am pleased that community pharmacists have been identified as having an important role in this field of travel medicine and are well placed as an accessible health professional for the travelling public. In particular, they can offer advice regarding bite prevention and chemoprophylaxis and help raise awareness of this dangerous disease. In many cases a referral to the GP will be required in order to obtain a prescription for an appropriate chemoprophylactic agent since currently only chloroquine and proguanil are available as P medicines. I would like to remind community pharmacists that for many parts of the world these two agents are no longer recommended due to widespread resistance of Plasmodium falciparum and great care should be exercised if supplying them over the counter. It is my opinion that all sales of chloroquine and proguanil should be recorded with a note of the area of intended travel.

Larry Goodyer
Head,
Leicester School of Pharmacy

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