Tamiflu

[b*rizzle]

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http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/10/28/tamiflu.hhs.ap/index.html

What do you guys think about this?

I visited my old store yesterday and the RPh told me that Roche is trying to recruit/contract/etc a generics manufacturer to produce Tamiflu this year since demand will far exceed what can be supplied. I don't know if it's true, since I haven't seen anything, but I wanted to know if anyone else has.

We also had a lady come in the other day with a script for 180 Tamiflu. She didn't care that her insurance wouldn't pay for that many; she wanted all 180. After speaking to her, the pharmacist convinced her to let him fill it for 30 with refills, since she was healthy and that they needed to conserve supplies for those actually sick when the bad season hits, since Roche is expecting a huge shortfall in supply.

What really worries me is not so much hoarding, but also that docs will be paranoid this season and will write for Tamiflu like crazy, even if it's not flu (a la Z-Pak), especially since Tamiflu is only effective when given in the first 1-2 days. I remember last year a lady came in three times in three weeks with Tamiflu scripts, saying that it wasn't working, even though the pharmacist tried to tell her that she wasn't doing anything by taking Tamiflu 10 days into onset of illness.

 

[kristakoch]

Also you have to watch out because most people think tamiflu is for prevention of the bird flu. So, everyone should be talking to the people to find out if thats why they are getting the drug. It won't do anything for prevention at all. Trust me, I hear it everyday at my flu shot clinics. Try to talk to everyone you know coming in to reassure that that flu is no where near here, there is no reason to panic and take all the tamiflu, and it probably won't come over here (just like the SARS outbreak) it is only passed on from bird to human after handling the birds, so unless one of the chickens from China suddenly decides to get up and fly to the US, we really shouldn't have anything to worry about.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/10/28/tamiflu.hhs.ap/index.html

What do you guys think about this?

I visited my old store yesterday and the RPh told me that Roche is trying to recruit/contract/etc a generics manufacturer to produce Tamiflu this year since demand will far exceed what can be supplied. I don't know if it's true, since I haven't seen anything, but I wanted to know if anyone else has.

We also had a lady come in the other day with a script for 180 Tamiflu. She didn't care that her insurance wouldn't pay for that many; she wanted all 180. After speaking to her, the pharmacist convinced her to let him fill it for 30 with refills, since she was healthy and that they needed to conserve supplies for those actually sick when the bad season hits, since Roche is expecting a huge shortfall in supply.

What really worries me is not so much hoarding, but also that docs will be paranoid this season and will write for Tamiflu like crazy, even if it's not flu (a la Z-Pak), especially since Tamiflu is only effective when given in the first 1-2 days. I remember last year a lady came in three times in three weeks with Tamiflu scripts, saying that it wasn't working, even though the pharmacist tried to tell her that she wasn't doing anything by taking Tamiflu 10 days into onset of illness.

 

[b*rizzle]

It's actually my understanding that Tamiflu is the only thing that the bird flu responds to -- there's just no vaccine for it.

 

[kristakoch]

It's actually my understanding that Tamiflu is the only thing that the bird flu responds to -- there's just no vaccine for it.

There has started to be some resistance to the Tamiflu already. And again, it is NOT prevention, only a possibe treatment. (don't worry, you'll understand it more once you are in pharmacy school.) there probably won't be a vaccine for at least 6 mo's-1year, and probably by then the scare will be gone