Finasteride 1mg Tablets – 1 or 3 Months

Finasteride 1mg is a prescription-only medicine for male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in men aged 18 and over. It lowers levels of DHT, the hormone involved in this type of hair loss, to slow further loss and, in some men, help regrowth. At Ways Pharmacy it is supplied under a Patient Group Direction (PGD) only after a pharmacist has checked that your hair loss is the male pattern type and that finasteride is suitable for you.

How to access this medicine

1. Choose and pay. Select the 1-month or 3-month pack and check out.
2. Online health questionnaire and ID check. After payment you complete a health questionnaire and send clear photos of the front, top and crown of your scalp, or show your scalp during the video call. You confirm your identity by uploading photo ID or showing it on a video call.
3. Pharmacist speaks with you. A GPhC-registered pharmacist contacts you by phone or video, checks that your hair loss looks like male pattern hair loss rather than another cause, and goes through the possible side effects with you.
4. If suitable, supplied the same day. Orders approved by 3pm on a weekday are posted the same day (see our shipping policy), or you can collect from Holborn once approved. If the medicine is not suitable — including when the pharmacist gives advice only — you receive a full refund.

There is no separate consultation fee. If finasteride is not suitable, the pharmacist may suggest another option or refer you to your GP.

About this medicine

Dosage

• One 1mg tablet once a day, at about the same time each day, with or without food
• Swallow whole with water — do not crush or chew
• If you miss a dose, skip it and take the next one as normal; do not take two at once
• It usually takes 3 to 6 months of daily use before you can see whether hair loss has slowed
• Keep taking it to keep the benefit: if you stop, the effect starts to reverse within about 6 months and hair returns to how it was within 9 to 12 months

Each order is up to 3 months of treatment. Further supplies follow a review with the pharmacist of how well it is working and any side effects.

Warnings and who should not take this medicine

• Women and anyone under 18. Women who are pregnant or could become pregnant should not handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride could harm a male baby
• Hair loss that is not male pattern: patchy round bald areas, sudden hair loss, rapid shedding all over the scalp, or scarring, redness, scaling or infection on the scalp — please see your GP
• Men with prostate cancer, or a previous low PSA result
• Men taking finasteride 5mg (Proscar), dutasteride or another 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor
• Rare inherited problems with galactose or lactose (galactose intolerance, total lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption)
• A history of depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts, liver problems, prostate problems or fertility concerns need careful discussion with the pharmacist first

Finasteride lowers PSA blood test results by about half. If you have a PSA test, tell the doctor you take finasteride. Report any breast lump, pain, enlargement or nipple discharge to a doctor promptly.

Possible side effects

Uncommon side effects include lower sex drive, difficulty getting an erection, a smaller amount of semen, and low mood or depression. Breast tenderness or enlargement can also occur. Some men have reported sexual side effects that continued after stopping finasteride. Stop taking it and speak to a doctor straight away if you notice low mood or thoughts of self-harm; if you have thoughts of harming yourself, call NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health) or 999 in an emergency. Get urgent help for swelling of the face, lips or throat.

More information about the service is on our hair loss treatment page.

Regulatory information

• Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (POM), supplied under a Patient Group Direction after pharmacist assessment
• Pharmacy: Ways Pharmacy, 77 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4ET · GPhC-registered premises 9012227
• Patient information leaflet: electronic Medicines Compendium (emc)
• Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme

This page gives factual information about a prescription-only medicine and is not an advertisement to the public. It is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed that it is suitable for you.