Misunderstanding surrounds Tamiflu
By Chrys Ayley
Tamiflu, a drug for the treatment and prevention of influenza, was made available over the counter without a prescription on Friday May 1 but there are conditions attached. When the Northern Courier contacted local pharmacists at the end of April both said the public had been misinformed about the availability of anti-viral drug. Crofton Downs pharmacist Karen Rich said she had been fielding inquiries all week because of misunderstanding among the public. She emphasised that people cannot walk into a pharmacy and buy the drug no questions asked. The chemist will assess the symptoms, complete a form, then supply Tamiflu if the symptoms indicate the person has flu. ?You?ve got to be sick before you get it,? she said. The drug is not available from the chemist for people who want to stock up before travelling overseas or ?just in case of an emergency? and in these instances people must visit their doctor. Ms Rich said the flu can strike quickly and real flu is nasty so the earlier the drug it is taken the better as it stops replication of the virus, but at $75 for a five-day course it is not cheap. Prevention is always the first line of defence, most pharmacies are selling masks and people should look after their health, take multi-vitamins and stay at home if they get the flu. She advised people to make sure they had adequate provisions at home if they got the flu. Sarah Wallace, pharmacist at Newlands Pharmacy, confirmed there had been lots of misinformation and said a person had to present themselves at the chemist as Tamiflu cannot be bought on behalf of anybody else. People had already been diagnosing themselves with Swine Flu and she felt the situation had been ?blown out of proportion? by the media. Ms Wallace emphasised that the drug was not a cure but a treatment that helps healing but said flu is difficult to treat.
