Travellers' Diarrhoea Treatment in Holborn, London — £19.99
Ways Pharmacy offers a private travellers' diarrhoea service for adults from our GPhC-registered pharmacy (premises number 9012227) at 77 Southampton Row, Holborn WC1 — around two minutes' walk from the British Museum. Before you travel, a pharmacist can assess whether a standby course of antibiotics to carry with you is appropriate, and explain exactly when to use it and when to get medical help instead. You can complete the assessment online or in the pharmacy, in English or Chinese (中文).
Travellers' diarrhoea service at a glance
| Treatment options | Azithromycin 500mg as a standby course to carry with you |
|---|---|
| Price | £19.99 for a 3-tablet course — no separate consultation fee, free online assessment, and you pay only once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable |
| Who it is for | Adults aged 18 and over travelling to areas where travellers' diarrhoea is more common, especially remote trips or where medical care is hard to reach |
| How it works | Online questionnaire, ID check and a phone or video call with the pharmacist — or a consultation in the pharmacy |
| Pharmacist assessment | Required before any supply. Antibiotics are only supplied where they are appropriate for you and your trip |
| Where and when | 77 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4ET · Monday to Friday, 9:00am–6:00pm |
| Language | English and Chinese (中英文服务) |
Start your free online assessment or call 020 8106 7084. Prices and treatment options are listed below.
About travellers' diarrhoea
Travellers' diarrhoea is a stomach upset during or shortly after a trip, usually caught from contaminated food or water. It is more common where food hygiene, water quality or sanitation are lower. Symptoms include loose or watery stools, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and sometimes a mild fever.
Most cases are mild and settle within a few days without antibiotics. Replacing fluids is the most important treatment, ideally with oral rehydration sachets. Loperamide (for example Imodium Instants) can ease symptoms for a short time in adults, but should not be used if there is blood in the stool or a high temperature. A standby antibiotic is for moderate or severe illness that stops you carrying on with your plans — not for every loose stool, and never to prevent diarrhoea.
Treatment options and prices
| Option | What it is | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azithromycin 500mg — standby course | 3 tablets. Take one 500mg tablet once a day for 1–3 days only if moderate or severe diarrhoea develops, as explained at your consultation. Adults aged 18+ weighing at least 45kg | £19.99 (3 tablets) | View product |
| Oral rehydration and loperamide | Non-prescription products many travellers pack alongside a standby course | From £2.59 | Rehydration sachets · Loperamide |
Using azithromycin for travellers' diarrhoea is supported by current travel-health guidance but is outside the product licence of UK azithromycin; the pharmacist will explain this before supply. The single 1g dose regimen is not used in this service.
Who can use this service
- Adults aged 18 and over (weighing at least 45kg for azithromycin)
- Travelling to an area where travellers' diarrhoea is more common
- For whom a standby antibiotic is appropriate — for example remote or long trips, limited access to medical care, or a trip where illness would cause serious disruption
- Able to understand when to start treatment and when to seek medical help instead
This service does not supply antibiotics to children, to prevent diarrhoea, or for long-lasting or non-travel stomach problems.
When you should see a GP or get urgent help instead
Do not rely on a standby antibiotic, and get medical help (locally while abroad, or your GP or NHS 111 in the UK), if you have:
- blood or a lot of mucus in your stool
- a temperature of 38°C or above, especially if you feel very unwell
- severe or persistent stomach pain
- vomiting so much that you cannot keep fluids down, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness, very dark urine or passing little urine
- diarrhoea lasting more than 3 days, or no improvement within 48–72 hours of starting treatment
- yellowing of the skin or eyes, confusion, a rash with feeling unwell, palpitations or fainting
Any fever after returning from a malaria area needs same-day medical assessment, even if you also have diarrhoea — see our malaria prevention page. The pharmacist will not supply azithromycin if you have a heart rhythm problem such as QT prolongation, take medicines that raise that risk, have severe liver disease, or are allergic to macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin or clarithromycin.
How it works
- Start your free online assessment. Answer questions about your trip, your health, your heart and liver history and your current medicines, and confirm your identity (upload photo ID, or show it on a video call). If you are not sure which option to choose, call 020 8106 7084.
- Pharmacist reviews and speaks with you. The pharmacist speaks with you by phone or video to confirm whether the medicine is suitable.
- If suitable, choose and pay. The pharmacist confirms which treatment is suitable; you then order and pay online from the price list above, or call 020 8106 7084. If it is not suitable, including when you only receive advice and no medicine, you pay nothing — the pharmacist explains your other options. If you have already paid and treatment is not suitable, you get a full refund.
- We post your medicine — orders approved by 3:00pm on a working day are dispatched the same day (see delivery information) — or you can collect it from Holborn once it is approved.
If the medicine you chose is not suitable, the pharmacist may suggest another option; you only pay once a suitable treatment is confirmed.
Planning your trip? See also travel vaccinations in Holborn — including cholera vaccine — and altitude sickness tablets.
Why choose Ways Pharmacy
- Price shown up front, a free online assessment and no separate consultation fee — you only pay once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable
- Clear written instructions on when to use antibiotics and when not to
- Assessment online or face to face, in English or Chinese (中文)
- Rehydration sachets, loperamide, insect repellent and malaria tablets from the same pharmacy
- GPhC-registered pharmacy (premises 9012227), around two minutes' walk from the British Museum
Frequently asked questions
When should I start the standby antibiotic?
Only if your diarrhoea is moderate or severe — distressing, or stopping you doing your planned activities. Mild diarrhoea usually gets better with fluids alone. The pharmacist goes through this with you and gives written instructions.
How do I take azithromycin for travellers' diarrhoea?
One 500mg tablet once a day, with water, for 1 to 3 days. You can stop once you have recovered within that time. Do not take more than one tablet in 24 hours, and do not share the tablets.
Can I take antibiotics before I travel to prevent diarrhoea?
No. Antibiotics are not used to prevent travellers' diarrhoea in this service. Careful food and water hygiene, hand washing and safe drinking water are the main ways to reduce the risk.
What are the common side effects of azithromycin?
Diarrhoea, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and headache. Rarely it can affect the heart rhythm or liver, or cause a serious allergic reaction. Get urgent help for palpitations, fainting, a severe rash or swelling of the face or throat.
Should I take loperamide or the antibiotic?
They do different jobs. Loperamide eases symptoms for a short time in adults and is not suitable if there is blood in the stool or a high temperature. The antibiotic is for moderate or severe illness, as explained at your consultation. Fluids and oral rehydration come first either way.
Can children use this service?
No. The service is for adults aged 18 and over. For children, focus on fluids and oral rehydration, and get medical advice early if they become unwell.
Is there a vaccine for travellers' diarrhoea?
There is no vaccine for travellers' diarrhoea in general. The oral cholera vaccine (Dukoral) is used to prevent cholera, which some higher-risk travellers need; ask about it at your travel clinic appointment.
Is this an NHS service?
No. Ways Pharmacy Holborn is a private pharmacy and does not provide NHS services.
Suspected side effects can be reported through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme.
This page gives factual information about pharmacy services and medicines. Any medicine is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed that it is suitable for you.
Ways Pharmacy
77 Southampton Row, Holborn, London WC1B 4ET
Telephone: 020 8106 7084
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am–6:00pm, closed Saturday and Sunday
Around 2 minutes' walk from the British Museum, near Holborn station
GPhC-registered pharmacy premises: 9012227 · About Ways Pharmacy
