Read the Medication Guide provided by your pharmacist before you start taking tafenoquine and each time you get a refill. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Take this medication by mouth with food as directed by your doctor. The manufacturer directs to swallow this medication whole, and to not break, crush, or chew the tablet before taking it. However, many similar drugs (immediate-release tablets) can be split, crushed, or chewed. Follow your doctor's directions on how to take this medication.

Take this medication starting 3 days before you travel to an area with malaria, usually once daily for 3 days. While you are in the malarious area, take this medication usually once each week, starting 7 days after the last daily dose you took. After you leave the malarious area, take the last dose of this medication 7 days after the last dose you took while you were in the malarious area.

For the best effect, take this medication at evenly spaced times. To help you remember, take this medication at the same time every day when you take it daily, and on the same day of the week when you take it weekly.

It is important that you do not miss any doses. See the Missed Dose section for more information.

Continue to take this medication until the full prescribed amount is finished. Stopping the medication too early may result in loss of protection against getting malaria.

No medication is completely effective in preventing malaria. Get medical help right away if you develop symptoms of malaria (such as fever, chills, headache, other flu-like symptoms). Malaria is best treated when treatment is started early.