Avloclor 250mg Tablets Pack of 20

What Avloclor is and what it is used for:

• Avloclor contains a medicine called chloroquine phosphate. This belongs to a group of medicines called 'anti-malarials'.
• 'Anti-malarials' can be taken in certain parts of the world to help prevent malaria. This is a serious disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Avloclor will give some degree of protection (prophylaxis) against malaria in certain countries.

• People travelling to countries where malaria occurs.
• People living in malaria areas who are not immune to malaria.

You must ask your doctor or pharmacist if Avloclor is suitable for the part of the world that you are visiting. In some countries you may have to take Avloclor with another medicine for maximum protection.

Avoiding mosquito bites

When you are taking this medicine to prevent malaria, you should also reduce the chances of being bitten by mosquitoes.

• Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing and long trousers when you are outside after sunset.
• Use insect repellent creams or sprays on parts of your body not covered by clothing.
• Sleep in a properly screened room or under a mosquito net.
• Spray to kill any mosquitoes that may have entered rooms in spite of screening.

Signs of malaria

No medicine can be guaranteed to protect against malaria in every case. If you have a high temperature (fever) during your visit to a malaria area, or up to a year after returning home, you should suspect malaria. Contact a doctor straight away and let him or her know that you have visited a malaria area.

Always take Avloclor exactly as your doctor has told you.

You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

When to start taking your medicine:

• Start taking this medicine one week before you enter the malaria area.
• You must continue to take it during your stay.
• You must keep taking this medicine for 4 weeks after leaving the malaria area.

Adults and children over 14 years

• Take two Avloclor tablets once a week on the same day each week.

Elderly people

• If you are an elderly person your doctor may suggest that you have blood tests. Your doctor may also decide to give you a different dose.

Children

• Do not give Avloclor to children under 1 year of age. For children over 1 year of age, the dose depends on the child's age.

• Ages 1 to 4 years: Take half an Avloclor tablet once a week (on the same day each week).
• Ages 5 to 8 years: Take one Avloclor tablet once a week (on the same day each week).
• Ages 9 to 14 years: Take one and a half Avloclor tablets once a week (on the same day each week).

How to take your tablets:

Take the tablet(s) after food.

• Swallow the tablet(s), or part tablets, whole with a drink of water.

If you take more Avloclor tablets than you should, talk to a doctor or go to a hospital straight away.

If you forget to take your Avloclor tablets:

• If you forget to take a dose of Avloclor, take it as soon as you remember.
• Then wait for 7 days before you take the next dose of Avloclor.
• Carry on taking your Avloclor tablets each week, on this new day of the week.

 Stopping Avloclor

Only stop taking Avloclor four weeks after leaving the malaria area or if your doctor tells you to.

KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF REACH AND SIGHT OF CHILDREN.

Always read all product packaging and labels prior to taking this medicine.

Do not take Avloclor if:

• You are allergic (hypersensitive) to chloroquine phosphate or any of the other ingredients of Avloclor.
• You are taking a medicine called amiodarone (used to control the heart rate). Avloclor may increase the risk of uneven heart beats (cardiac arrhythmias) when it is taken at the same time as amiodarone. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

Take special care with this medicine

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking your medicine if:

• You have ever had epilepsy, convulsions or fits.
• You have ever had problems with your liver or kidneys.

-    You have rare disease of the blood pigment called 'porphyria' or anyone in your family has it.

-    You have a scaly condition of the skin called psoriasis.

-    You have a muscle problem called 'myasthenia gravis'. You have a blood problem called 'glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency'. Avloclor may damage blood cells in people with this blood condition.

If you go into hospital, tell the medical staff that you are taking Avloclor.

Taking other medicines

Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, or have recently taken, any other medicines. This includes medicines that you buy without a prescription and herbal medicines.

Pregnancy

If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, talk to a doctor or pharmacist:

-    before you take Avloclor,

-    before you take any medicine to prevent malaria,

-    and before you go to a country where there is malaria.

Breast-feeding

-    If you are breast-feeding, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before taking Avloclor.

-    Although Avloclor passes into the breast milk, the amount is not enough to protect your baby from malaria. Therefore, your baby will still need to be given anti-malarial medicines. Ask your doctor or pharmacist who will be able to give you advice.

KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF REACH AND SIGHT OF CHILDREN.

Please read all product packaging and labels prior to taking this medicine.

• The active substance in Avloclor Tablets is chloroquine phosphate. Each tablet contains 250 mg of chloroquine phosphate (equivalent to 155 mg of chloroquine base).

• The other ingredients are magnesium stearate and maize starch.