Esomeprazole 20mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets or Capsules

Esomeprazole 20mg is a prescription-only proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It reduces the amount of acid your stomach makes and is used for the short-term treatment of heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion in adults. At Ways Pharmacy it is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed your symptoms, health and other medicines and confirmed that it is suitable for you.

How to access this medicine

1. Start your free online assessment. Complete a short questionnaire and confirm your identity by uploading photo ID or showing it on a video call.
2. Pharmacist reviews and speaks with you. A GPhC-registered pharmacist contacts you by phone or video to go through your answers and confirm whether the medicine is suitable.
3. If suitable, we send you a payment link. Once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable, we send you a secure payment link for the confirmed pack by email or message. You can also call 020 8106 7084. Through the online service the pharmacist supplies one course of up to 14 days. If it is not suitable — including when the pharmacist recommends self-care instead — you pay nothing and the pharmacist explains your other options.
4. We post your medicine or you collect it. Orders paid by 3pm on a weekday are posted the same day (see our shipping policy), or you can collect from Holborn.

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

About this medicine

Dosage

• Adults: one 20mg tablet or capsule once a day, for up to 14 days
• Take it 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast, at about the same time each day
• Swallow whole with water — do not crush or chew
• Symptoms can take a few days to improve; keep taking it daily for the course the pharmacist recommends
• Through the online service the pharmacist supplies one course of up to 14 days. Repeat courses are not supplied without a new assessment

The 28-day pack is supplied only if a pharmacist decides a longer course is appropriate; it is not supplied through the online service. If your symptoms last after the course, come back soon after you stop, or keep recurring, see your GP so that the cause can be looked into. Eating smaller meals, avoiding food for 2 to 3 hours before bed, cutting down on alcohol, stopping smoking and raising the head of the bed can also help. See our acid reflux and heartburn service for more information.

Warnings and who should not take this medicine

• Anyone under 18
• Anyone allergic to esomeprazole, any other proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or any ingredient of the medicine
• People with symptoms that need a doctor: difficulty or pain when swallowing, persistent vomiting, unexplained weight loss, iron deficiency anaemia, or persistent or severe upper tummy pain
• People whose symptoms have lasted more than 4 weeks without seeing a doctor, or who need frequent or continuous acid-reducing treatment
• People who have had stomach or oesophageal cancer (unless under a specialist), or who have severe liver problems
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless the pharmacist confirms it is appropriate — you may be advised to speak to your midwife or GP

Call 999 or go to A&E if you vomit blood or something that looks like coffee grounds, pass black or tarry stools, or have chest pain — especially if it feels tight or heavy or spreads to your arm, neck, jaw or back. Chest pain should not be treated as heartburn until a heart cause has been ruled out.

Tell the pharmacist about every medicine you take. Esomeprazole can interact with clopidogrel, warfarin, methotrexate, digoxin, tacrolimus, ketoconazole, itraconazole, rifampicin, some HIV medicines and St John's Wort. Also mention if you have had a stomach ulcer or Helicobacter pylori infection, have liver problems, or take anti-inflammatory painkillers, steroids or a blood thinner.

Possible side effects

Common side effects include headache, feeling sick, diarrhoea, constipation, tummy pain, wind and dizziness. Less common are rash, dry mouth, sleep problems and swollen ankles. Stop taking it and get urgent medical help if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, a severe skin reaction, severe or persistent diarrhoea, severe tummy pain, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

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.