Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Tamiflu children's dosages run out
Pharmacists meet need by converting adult capsules to liquid
By Christina E. Sanchez ? THE TENNESSEAN ? September 23, 2009
Public demand for a prescription drug that lessens the symptoms and duration of the H1N1 or swine flu virus has caused a shortage of the children's dosage.
Pharmacies have run out of Tamiflu in the liquid form, often given to children and adults who can't swallow a pill. The shortage is nationwide.
Until more of the liquid prescription can be manufactured, pharmacists must convert the adult dosage capsules into a liquid by following FDA-approved guidelines on mixing. Health officials are concerned that if more liquid is not commercially made soon, the items needed for the makeshift version also could run short.
All pharmacists are equipped to make the compound, and the mixing takes about 15 minutes, said Baeteena Black, executive director of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association.
"There is no need to panic," Black said. "Roche (the manufacturer) is working diligently to get some more made.
"Customers do need to be patient. It takes longer to make, obviously, than if you pulled a commercially prepared bottle off the shelf."
Tamiflu has become a hot item since a resurgence of H1N1 cases in the late summer as students returned to school. Just how many people have contracted the virus is unknown because health officials no longer track the numbers.
In some cases, when one family member gets the virus, doctors prescribe a five-day cycle of the drug for the whole family.
It probably will remain popular until the H1N1 vaccine begins to be available in October.
Not Everyone With Flu Needs Drug
Not everyone who has the flu needs an antiviral medicine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Tamiflu and Relenza, another flu drug, be given on a case-by-case basis, and primarily reserved for people who are hospitalized and groups at high risk for complications.
At-risk populations include children younger than 5, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions and illnesses, and the elderly. The drugs should be given within the first 48 hours from the onset of symptoms to be most effective.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090923/NEWS01/909230400/2047/BUSINESS
Pharmacists meet need by converting adult capsules to liquid
By Christina E. Sanchez ? THE TENNESSEAN ? September 23, 2009
Public demand for a prescription drug that lessens the symptoms and duration of the H1N1 or swine flu virus has caused a shortage of the children's dosage.
Pharmacies have run out of Tamiflu in the liquid form, often given to children and adults who can't swallow a pill. The shortage is nationwide.
Until more of the liquid prescription can be manufactured, pharmacists must convert the adult dosage capsules into a liquid by following FDA-approved guidelines on mixing. Health officials are concerned that if more liquid is not commercially made soon, the items needed for the makeshift version also could run short.
All pharmacists are equipped to make the compound, and the mixing takes about 15 minutes, said Baeteena Black, executive director of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association.
"There is no need to panic," Black said. "Roche (the manufacturer) is working diligently to get some more made.
"Customers do need to be patient. It takes longer to make, obviously, than if you pulled a commercially prepared bottle off the shelf."
Tamiflu has become a hot item since a resurgence of H1N1 cases in the late summer as students returned to school. Just how many people have contracted the virus is unknown because health officials no longer track the numbers.
In some cases, when one family member gets the virus, doctors prescribe a five-day cycle of the drug for the whole family.
It probably will remain popular until the H1N1 vaccine begins to be available in October.
Not Everyone With Flu Needs Drug
Not everyone who has the flu needs an antiviral medicine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Tamiflu and Relenza, another flu drug, be given on a case-by-case basis, and primarily reserved for people who are hospitalized and groups at high risk for complications.
At-risk populations include children younger than 5, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions and illnesses, and the elderly. The drugs should be given within the first 48 hours from the onset of symptoms to be most effective.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090923/NEWS01/909230400/2047/BUSINESS
