pills against malaria???

[nms1]

Hello

I visited my doctor in Germany to get some pills against Malaria. He gave me "Malarone". But they´re very very expensive here.

Can I buy this or similar pills in SG without a prescription???

Thanks, George

[jpatokal]

No, malaria meds are prescription-only in Singapore, as they darn well should be (they're pretty dangerous in the long run and overuse breeds resistant mosquitoes). And yeah, they're expensive here too, I paid close to $5/pop for Lariam last year.

So the obvious question is, are you sure you need them? You're quite unlikely to get malaria anywhere near Singapore.

[nms1]

I know that there is no big danger in SG. But I will go to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. and for this countries it is necessary or not?

[seasider]

I got Malarone from the doctor here when we went to Lombok and, yes, it was very expensive. Not certain it was the Malarone but I was sick as a dog for most of the fortnight; I would never take it again.

Unless you're going trekking in the jungle, I wouldn't bother.

[jpatokal]

I know that there is no big danger in SG. But I will go to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. and for this countries it is necessary or not?

In a word, no, it's not necessary. Malaria medication is intended for cases where you'll be spending weeks in a high-risk area; not a single major tourist or business destination in Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand qualifies. (I got my Lariam because I was spending a few weeks in rural Zambia, and my GP was still reluctant to prescribe it!)