Superdrug Online Doctor has become the UK’s first high-street retailer to launch doxyxycline post-exposure prophylaxis (DoxyPEP), a treatment designed to reduce the risk of certain bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The antibiotic is taken after sex and claims to reduce the risk of certain bacterial STIs, including chlamydia and syphilis, by around 70%.
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It is targeted at “adults aged 18 and over who are considered at higher risk of bacterial STIs”, such as gay and bisexual men, sex workers, and those who have had a bacterial STI within the past year.
GP at Superdrug Online Doctor, Dr Babak Ashrafi, said “prevention has always been one of the most effective tools we have in sexual health. DoxyPEP offers eligible patients another evidence-based option that can help reduce the risk of certain bacterial STIs before they occur.”
Timing
One dose consists of 200mg of doxycycline taken as two 100mg capsules. Superdrug said that “for maximum effectiveness, it should ideally be taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex, although it can still be taken up to 72 hours afterwards.”
While it can be taken up to three days after sex, “taking it as soon as possible within that window is generally recommended,” said Ashrafi.
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Superdrug stressed that the antibiotic “does not protect against all sexually transmitted infections and should not replace regular STI testing or safer sex practices”.
“Regular testing remains essential, but for eligible patients, DoxyPEP provides another preventative option that can complement existing sexual health measures,” Ashrafi said.
“To access the service, patients complete an online consultation, which is reviewed by a clinician to determine whether the treatment is suitable for them,” Superdrug said.
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“The service includes a medical assessment because it’s important to ensure the treatment is both safe and appropriate for the individual,” said Ashrafi.
The medicine is priced at £10.99 for two tablets (one dose), £14.99 for four tablets (two doses), and £19.99 for 20 tablets (10 doses).
Morning after
It comes after the NHS revealed last week that “hundreds of thousands” of women have accessed the morning-after pill at a community pharmacy in the five months since the free service was launched.
And it follows Superdrug launching its Wegovy pill service last month, calling it the “high street’s cheapest oral weight loss service”.
