Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors are taken into account when administering larium as a malaria prophylactic to British troops and reservists serving overseas.

Mefloquine (commercially known as Lariam) is one of a number of effective methods of malaria chemoprophylaxis used by the military in many parts of the world where Service personnel deploy. The exact choice of drug depends on a number of factors, including the region the individual is deploying to, the health of the individual and any history of side effects. Mefloquine and other antimalarial drugs used by the military are licensed in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, based on the expert guidance of the Advisory Committee for Malaria Prevention of Public Health England. The Ministry of Defence reviews its policy on the use of antimalarial drugs in line with advice from the Advisory Committee.