Herpes treatment

Confidential Herpes Treatment Service

How can Anytime Pharmacy help me?

We provide this regulated, specialist service only for people who have been diagnosed with herpes or who recognise the symptoms of herpes after having had a previous episode in the past. This service allows you to obtain herpes treatment in advance so you can be ready for your next herpes outbreak.

There is no cure for herpes, the antiviral tablets or local anaesthetic cream is used to alleviate the symptoms of herpes when you have an outbreak. If you cannot recognise the symptoms of herpes, then this medication is unlikely to benefit you.

All services provided by Anytime Pharmacy are confidential (we do not inform your GP) and allow you to get tested and treated within the privacy of your home and without the potential embarrassment of a face-to-face doctor consultation or the inconvenience of lengthy waiting rooms.

Choose same day click and collect from your local participating pharmacy. The benefit of collecting from your local pharmacy is that you can go to the pharmacy at a time that suits you, it's faster than a mail order delivery and no-one has to wait at home to sign for your medicine.

How does the Anytime Pharmacy service work?

Step 1: Register online and complete the free online medical questionnaire consultation. A GMC-registered doctor will review your questionnaire and, if it is safe to do so, approve you for treatment. You do not pay for your doctor consultation.

Step 2: If you are approved for treatment you will be sent a text message asking you to log back into your secure patient record. You can pay for your herpes treatment using a debit or credit card.

Step 3: You will be sent a FREE SMS (text message) when a doctor has sent your prescription to your nominated pharmacy. We advise you to call your nominated pharmacy to check your prescription is ready, then collect your medicine.

Why are no prices shown for Anytime Pharmacy treatment services?

Under current UK advertising law we cannot show you prescription-only-medicine (POM) prices prior to a medical consultation with a registered doctor. Once your doctor has approved you for treatment all prices are clearly displayed. Your registration and medical consultation is free and you are under no obligation to purchase any treatment.

All of our prices are fully inclusive, and so for prescription medicines the prices include the cost of the consultation, the issuing of a private prescription, and dispensing of the medicine itself. There are no hidden extras.

How do you take your herpes treatment?

Tablets: The herpes antiviral tablets is an oral medication that you take by mouth for five days. You should start taking your treatment as soon as you recognise a herpes outbreak beginning.

Cream: The herpes cream is a local anaesthetic that you should apply directly to the part of your skin where you have had a previous herpes outbreak from.

What are the potential side-effects (contraindications) of this herpes treatment?

All medication can cause side effects.

Tablets: The antiviral tablets can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and/or an allergic rash.

Cream: The herpes cream can cause an allergic reaction.

The leaflet accompanying your treatment will list some of the rarer side-effects.

When answering your medical questionnaire for herpes treatment it is very important that you answer the questions truthfully to ensure your doctor has a full picture of your medical history before they prescribe you treatment.

How effective is this herpes treatment?

There is no cure to herpes; however it is possible to decrease the discomfort of a herpes outbreak by using herpes treatment in the form of tablets or cream.

Who should not use this particular herpes treatment service?

Tablets: This particular herpes treatment service is not suitable for patients who are allergic to acyclovir or who have liver or kidney disease.

Cream: This particular herpes treatment service is not suitable for patients who are allergic to any local anaesthetic.

Alternate treatment options

The three main methods used to manage a herpes outbreak are: herpes antiviral tablets, local anaesthetic cream or suppression therapy.

If you suffer from repeated herpes outbreaks (more than 5 per year) you should consider suppression therapy; this particular treatment service is also available through Anytime Pharmacy's online clinic.

Looking after your herpes treatment

This treatment is for YOU only. Do not give it to others. It may not suit them.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date stamped on the pack.

Keep all medicines out of the reach and sight of children.