Armed Forces: Mefloquine

(asked on 29th January 2024) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times Mefloquine has been issued to service personnel since 2017.


Answered by
Andrew Murrison Portrait
Andrew Murrison
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
This question was answered on 5th February 2024

Anti-malaria drugs, including mefloquine, are only prescribed after a face-to-face individual risk assessment. The recommended anti-malaria drug is determined by the sensitivity of malaria parasites to those drugs in different parts of the world based on Public Health England guidance.

Mefloquine is only prescribed by a doctor and after other alternatives have been identified as unsuitable and is not prescribed to divers, aircrew, or air traffic controllers.

In all cases, the authority and supply details for anti-malarial drugs are recorded on the individual’s medical note, and personnel supplied with anti-malarial drugs are issued copies of all manufacturer-provided patient documentation relevant to that drug.

Between 1 January 2017 and 30 September 2023, there were 210 prescriptions for mefloquine issued to 172 UK Armed Forces personnel.

Prescriptions for military personnel, issued by community pharmacies under contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), are captured in the data.

Armed Forces personnel are advised to inform Defence healthcare if they receive healthcare outside of the MOD to ensure it is captured on their healthcare record.

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