Azithromycin

Azithromycin 500mg 3-day antibiotic course to treat chlamydia available to buy online from Dr Fox pharmacy.

Start order

Buy azithromycin online in UK

How to order azithromycin 500mg online for UK delivery:

  1. Read medical information about chlamydia treatment with azithromycin
  2. Answer medical questions to check for eligibility
  3. Order reviewed by doctors - medication posted from UK pharmacy (Royal Mail Tracked 24)

Prices

Chlamydia antibiotic Quantity Cost
Azithromycin 500mg 4 tablets (1 course of treatment) £9.90

Price match guarantee
Prescription issued online - small prescription fee per order.

Compare prices: Dr Fox prices are 25%-50% lower cost than other online clinics.

Prescription fees

Dr Fox supplies medicine on prescription and charges a small prescription fee based on the order value of each prescription.

Prescriptions are issued by our doctors online and sent electronically to our pharmacy.

Order value Prescription fee
up to £10 £1.00
up to £20 £2.00
up to £40 £3.00
over £40 £4.00

If you have your own private paper prescription please post to our pharmacy (details).

Dr Fox prices are 25%–50% lower than other UK online clinics.

Comparative costs of azithromycin 500mg x 4 tablets from UK online clinics (15 December 2023) - qualifying notes
*Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in table above.
  1. The prices shown are listed by the online clinics named after a customer first enters consultation information and is offered prescriptions. It is possible these clinics may have special offers or lower prices for repeat supplies.
  2. Prices may change and are, to the best of our knowledge, accurate on the date stated. All products in stock and new condition.
  3. Dr Fox does NOT claim to provide a superior service to any of the online clinics listed. All the clinics listed, as far as we can tell, comply with all regulation and, as far as we can tell, operate to high ethical standards.
  4. Dr Fox adds a small prescription fee not included in the table (between £1 and £4 depending on value of the order).
  5. To amend the information in this table please contact us
  6. The prices listed in the table do not identify the cost of prescription medicine as online clinics charge a single fee to cover services which includes advice, consultations, prescriptions and dispensing and supply of treatments.
  7. Where services include free delivery this is using the slowest delivery option available. Dr Fox uses Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Chlamydia antibiotic Dr Fox* Chemist Click Post my Meds Health Express ASDA The Independent Pharmacy e-surgery
Azithromycin 500mg x 4 £9.90 £17.99 £12.49 £13.99 £14.99 £19.99 £14.95
UK delivery £2.90 £4.50 £3.95 included included £4.45 £2.95

Delivery charges

UK delivery only: £2.90 per consultation via Royal Mail Tracked 24 Signed For (1-2 working days with tracking).

Parcel forwarding services are not permitted. Use only UK home or work delivery address.

Returns and refunds - unwanted items can be returned within 14 working days for a full refund.


About azithromycin

  • Azithromycin is a prescription-only antibiotic medicine used to treat chlamydia infection when doxycycline can not be taken.
  • A 3-day course of azithromycin, 1g on the first day followed by 500mg taken once daily for the next 2 days, is 97% effective at treating chlamydia infection.
  • Avoid sexual contact for 7 days after completing azithromycin treatment for chlamydia to allow full clearance of the infection and prevent further spread.
  • People with a positive chlamydia test and their sexual partners should be treated at the same time if possible.
  • Chlamydia tests take up to 6 weeks to go negative after chlamydia has been successfully treated.
  • Read the patient leaflet for a full list of side effects, cautions, and interactions with other drugs.

Note: Azithromycin is supplied from the manufacturers in boxes of 3 tablets. You will receive an extra tablet to make a total of 4. Original or blank medicine boxes may be used.

Azithromycin is a macrolide antibiotic used to treat infection that works by killing the bacteria causing the infection.

For further information see NHS - Azithromycin.

Dr Fox provides azithromycin for the treatment of chlamydia and traveller's diarrhoea only. Other infections need to be adequately assessed and azithromycin is not usually the first line treatment. Please do not order to self treat other infections as you may be taking the wrong treatment and are at risk of causing resistant strains of bacteria. The medical questions are designed for those patients who have had a positive chlamydia test only.

How to take azithromycin for chlamydia

  • Take 2 azithromycin 500mg tablets on day 1 followed by 1 azithromycin 500g tablet on day 2 and day 3.
  • Try to take the dose at the same time every day, they can be taken with or without food.
  • The tablets should be taken with 1/2 glass of water.
  • If you forget a dose, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for the next dose, just skip that dose and take the next one when it is due. Do not take a double dose.

Most people do not experience symptoms from a chlamydia infection. Any symptoms should subside after a few days of starting treatment but may take up to 14 days to completely settle. It is important to continue to finish the 3 day course. Azithromycin is 97% effective at treating chlamydia infection.

Alternative treatments for chlamydia

Chlamydia can also be treated with a 7-day course of an alternative antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline is advised as first line treatment unless intolerant or allergic to it.

Alternative antibiotics (not available from Dr Fox), include erythromycin and ofloxacin. These antibiotics are an option only in people who cannot take doxycycline or azithromycin. Contact your local sexual health clinic or your GP if you think you need a different treatment.

Azithromycin 1gm (2 x 500mg tablets) one-off dose is no longer the recommended first choice treatment of chlamydia due to increasing resistance in other sexually transmitted infections and it not being as effective in treating complicated chlamydia infections - see BASHH guidance

Cautions and warnings

Do not take azithromycin if you:

  • Are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
  • Have suffered an allergic reaction after taking azithromycin or any other macrolide antibiotic such as erythromycin or clarithromycin.
  • Are intolerant or allergic to lactose

Talk to your doctor before taking azithromycin if you have any of the following:

  • Severe liver problems are taking medicines which affect your liver.
  • Severe kidney problems.
  • Myasthenia gravis.
  • Diarrhoea, or usually get diarrhoea when you take antibiotics, or have suffered from problems with your stomach or intestines.

Azithromycin and other medicines

Please tell your doctor if you are taking or have recently taken any of the following medicines:

  • Warfarin or warfarin-type anticoagulants (regularly monitored with blood tests).
  • Quinapril (used to lower high blood pressure).
  • Kaolin (used to treat diarrhoea).
  • Penicillin or rifampicin (antibiotics).
  • Sucralfate (used to treat and prevent stomach ulcers).
  • Barbiturates (strong sleeping tablets, e.g. phenobarbital).
  • Ergotamine (used to treat cluster headaches).
  • Typhoid vaccine oral capsules.
  • Carbamazepine, phenytoin, primidone, or other drugs used to control epilepsy.
  • Ciclosporin (used to affect the body's immune response following organ transplants).
  • Methoxyflurane (an anaesthetic). If you need an operation, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking doxycycline.
  • Methotrexate (used to treat cancer, psoriasis, or rheumatoid arthritis).
  • Medicines such as antacids (indigestion tablets or liquids) containing aluminium, calcium, magnesium, or other medicines containing iron, bismuth, or zinc salts.
  • Retinoid, e.g. Roaccutane (used to treat various skin conditions).
  • Lithium (used to moderate mood).

There is a very rare theoretical risk of abnormal heart rhythm if azithromycin is taken at the same time as some other medications - please check this list.

Side effects of azithromycin

The most common side effects of azithromycin are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and headache.

If you develop severe or prolonged or bloody diarrhoea during or after using azithromycin, tell your doctor immediately since it may be necessary to interrupt the treatment. This may be a sign of bowel inflammation (pseudomembranous colitis) which can occur following treatment with antibiotics.

Some people get thrush after taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill bacteria including beneficial bacteria that protects against thrush.

For a full list of side effects and information see the manufacturer's patient information leaflet for azithromycin.

Patient Information Leaflet

Illustration of patient leaflet from medicine packet

The Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) is the leaflet included in the pack with a medicine and must be read before taking the medicine. It is written for patients and gives information about taking or using a medicine.

Azithromycin 500mg patient leaflet

Note: The 1g one-off dose of azithromycin suggested in the patient information leaflet is no longer a recommended treatment regime due to increasing resistance in other sexually transmitted infections and it is not as effective in treating complicated infections.

Antibiotic guardianship

Antibiotic Guardian logo

To combat antibiotic resistance please:

  • Only use antibiotics when needed.
  • Never share antibiotics.
  • Always complete course as instructed.
  • Take unused medicine to local pharmacy for disposal.

Azithromycin FAQs

Can I buy treatment to treat my sexual partners?

No. Your sexual partners should get treatment by completing the online consultation themselves to ensure it is safe for them to take and to have the correct information about the treatment. Prescriptions must be in the name of the intended recipient.

Why has there been a change in how long and how much azithromycin to take for chlamydia treatment?

The British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), part of the Royal College of Gynaecologists, issued advice in 2018 that the one-off dose of 1gm azithromycin was increasing resistance in other sexually transmitted diseases and not effective in treating complicated infections so was no longer a recommended treatment.

Can I drink alcohol when taking azithromycin?

There is no advice that alcohol cannot be consumed when taking azithromycin. However, if the tablets make you feel dizzy, then drinking alcohol may make you feel worse.

See also Chlamydia FAQs page.

Dr Claire Pugh

Authored 14 December 2023 by Dr C. Pugh
MB ChB University of Liverpool 2000. NHS GP and GP appraiser in Bristol. GMC no. 4712688

Reviewed by Dr A. Wood, Dr B. Babor
Last reviewed 15 December 2023
Last updated 19 January 2024
Editorial policy

References

Recent Azithromycin reviews

Azithromycin rated 4.69/5 in 83 product reviews

See over 40,000 service reviews of Dr Fox

Azithromycin 500mg

Fantastic, the only medication I have ever had that completely relieved my symptoms from travellers diahorea quickly, allowing me to enjoy the rest of my holiday without any problems.

Thu/05/2022 12:58
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Recent trip to Azerbaijan. Drank bottled water which I soon discovered was being topped up from a nearby stream !! This product killed my TD overnight after an horrendous day! Would highly recommend.

Mon/09/2018 10:40
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Really helpful and the service from Dr Fox is great.

Tue/08/2023 10:03
Anonymous Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Good antibiotic

Mon/07/2023 15:45
R. Lesniewski Verified

Azithromycin 500mg

Was effective and arrived very quickly

Wed/06/2023 09:51
Anonymous Verified

Read more reviews

The order process

Choose medication, register, and pay

Dr Fox issues prescription online

Pharmacy team post medication direct