Clindamycin 2% Vaginal Cream – 7-Day BV Course (40g with 7 Applicators)

Clindamycin 2% vaginal cream (for example Dalacin Cream 2%) is a prescription-only antibiotic cream used inside the vagina to treat bacterial vaginosis (BV). At Ways Pharmacy it is an option for women aged 16 and over who have had BV diagnosed before, particularly when metronidazole tablets are not suitable or not tolerated. It is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed your symptoms and confirmed that the treatment is suitable for you.

How to access this medicine

1. Start your free online assessment. Answer the health questions online and confirm your identity (upload photo ID, or show it on a video call). The questionnaire asks about your symptoms, previous BV episodes, pregnancy, health and other medicines.
2. Pharmacist reviews and speaks with you. A GPhC-registered pharmacist contacts you by phone or video to confirm that your symptoms match BV, which you have had diagnosed before, and that this treatment is suitable. No examination is needed when your symptoms clearly match BV; if the cause is uncertain, the pharmacist will not supply treatment and will tell you where to get help.
3. If suitable, order and pay on this page. Once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable, you order and pay on this page, or call 020 8106 7084. If it is not suitable — including when the pharmacist recommends advice only — you pay nothing, and the pharmacist explains your other options. If you have already paid and the pharmacist finds the medicine is not suitable, you receive a full refund.
4. We post your medicine or you collect it. Orders placed by 3pm on a weekday are posted the same day (see our shipping policy), or you can collect from our Holborn pharmacy.

There is no separate consultation fee. If the medicine you chose is not suitable, the pharmacist may suggest another option.

This treatment is for women aged 16 and over. If you are 16 or 17, you can consult online in confidence — a parent or guardian does not need to be present.

About this medicine

Dosage

• One applicator full (5g) inserted into the vagina once a day at bedtime, for 7 nights in a row
• Using it at night helps the cream stay in place. Use a new applicator each time and follow the instructions in the leaflet.
• Finish the course, even if your symptoms improve sooner

Condoms and diaphragms: the cream can weaken latex condoms and diaphragms. Do not rely on them during treatment and for 72 hours after your last dose — use another method of contraception or avoid sex during this time.

One course is supplied per episode. If your symptoms have not improved within a week of finishing treatment, or BV comes back, please see your GP or a sexual health clinic. See our BV treatment service for other options.

Warnings and who should not take this medicine

• Anyone allergic to clindamycin or lincomycin
• A history of inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or of colitis after taking antibiotics
• A first episode of vaginal symptoms, or BV twice or more in the last 6 months — please see your GP or a sexual health clinic
• Itching or soreness that suggests thrush, unusual vaginal bleeding, lower tummy or pelvic pain, fever or feeling generally unwell
• A possible sexually transmitted infection — see our STI testing service
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding — tell the pharmacist, who will decide whether this treatment is appropriate or whether you should see your GP or midwife

Stop using the cream and contact a doctor straight away if you develop severe or prolonged diarrhoea, or diarrhoea with blood or mucus, during or after treatment.

Possible side effects

Vaginal irritation, burning or itching, and vaginal thrush are the most common. Headache, stomach pain and diarrhoea can also occur. Stop using it and get urgent medical help if you develop swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing or a widespread rash.

Regulatory information

• Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (POM), supplied under a Patient Group Direction after pharmacist assessment
• Pharmacy: Ways Pharmacy, 77 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4ET · GPhC-registered premises 9012227
• Patient information leaflet: electronic Medicines Compendium (emc)
• Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme

This page gives factual information about a prescription-only medicine and is not an advertisement to the public. It is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed that it is suitable for you.