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CBC MARKETPLACE: HEALTH » BUYING
DRUGS ONLINE
What is Tamiflu?
Broadcast: January 29, 2006
Tamiflu is
the brand name for the drug "oseltamivir," which
belongs to a class of drugs called antivirals. |
Tamiflu is
the brand name for the drug “oseltamivir,” which
belongs to a class of drugs called antivirals. Tamiflu is
currently used in Canada during the annual flu season to
treat severe cases of influenza.
Tamiflu works by stopping
the virus from bursting out of infected cells, and therefore
stopping the cycle of cells becoming continuously infected
and the person from infecting other people.
If taken within the first 48 hours of becoming ill, Tamiflu can reduce both the duration and severity of symptoms. It only works against influenza A and B viruses. Tamiflu does not work against other viruses or bacteria.
Tamiflu is one of the main drugs currently
being stockpiled by international government agencies – including the
Public Health Agency of Canada – for use as the first
line of defence against outbreaks of pandemic influenza.
A second antiviral medicine called Relenza will
also be used to treat Canadians during a pandemic.
During a pandemic, Tamiflu will also prescribed for phrophylactic
use, as a preventative measure against becoming infected.
In such cases, it will be reserved for designated priority
groups: health care workers and essential services personnel,
including those in police, fire and ambulance services.
Tamiflu can be used to treat severe illness due to influenza
for anyone one year of age or older. It can also be used
for prophylaxis (prevention) of influenza infection for
patients thirteen and above. Tamiflu should not be given
to children less than a year old.
Some experts have doubts Tamiflu will work during an influenza
pandemic, fearing instead that viruses like H5N1 will quickly
develop resistance. Recent
reports of two patients in Vietnam who died from H5N1
despite being treated with Tamiflu have also led people
to question the wisdom of stockpiling Tamiflu for a pandemic.
The truth is, Tamiflu has never been tested during a pandemic,
so it is unclear if - or how well - it will actually work
in such a situation.
Can I get Tamiflu now?
Not likely. Tamiflu is not readily available for private
purchase in Canada at this time. The manufacturer of the
drug, Hoffman La Roche, has implemented a restriction
on Tamiflu's availability, citing a shortage in supplies.
Pharmacies and wholesalers are unable to order Tamiflu
until the restriction is lifted. (There is very limited
leftover stock of Tamiflu that remains available to the
public.)
MORE: Avian
flu resistance to Tamiflu renews stockpile concerns
How will I get Tamiflu during a pandemic?
In the event of a pandemic, Tamiflu will be available
by prescription from your family doctor. Canadian supplies
are limited. As outlined in the Canadian
Pandemic Influenza Plan, the current priority groups
include individuals already hospitalized for influenza or
at high risk from related health complications, health care
workers and essential service providers such as police,
fire and ambulance personnel.
Can I put my name on a “pandemic
list” for
Tamiflu now?
No, there are no such public lists at this time.
Will we have enough antiviral
drugs when a pandemic hits?
It is impossible
to know. The need for antivirals will depend on the specific
characteristics of the next pandemic virus, the spread
and severity of illness, and the number of Canadians affected
and the efficacy of the drug.
The Public Health
Agency of Canada has made antiviral medications a key
component of the national Canadian
Pandemic Influenza Plan and is stockpiling sixteen million
doses of Tamiflu for use during a pandemic. Antivirals will
be the first line of defence during the next pandemic, because
it will take at least four to six months to make targeted
vaccines.
As in other countries,
priority lists will be established by Canada’s pandemic
planners.
Currently, the priority groups include individuals already
hospitalized for influenza or at high risk from related
health complications, health care workers and essential
service providers such as police, fire and ambulance personnel.
Why can’t we just order more
antivirals?
There is great international demand for Tamiflu. As a
relatively new drug, it is still under patent, and is only
manufactured by one company (Roche) at a single facility
in Switzerland.
If a pandemic happens, governments will undoubtedly overide
the patent, but for the immediate future obtaining more
Tamiflu is not possible.
What sort of shelf life does Tamiflu have?
The true shelf life of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is somewhat
uncertain. As a relatively new drug, it has not yet been
stored for long periods of time. The manufacturer, Roche
International in Basel, Switzerland sets the current shelf
life at five years. They are currently testing to further
increase the shelf life to six years.
All reserves of Tamiflu maintained in the National Stockpile
System by the Public Health Agency of Canada, as part of the
implementation of the Canadian Influenza Pandemic Plan, will
be tested periodically to ensure the key ingredients remain
effective.
MORE: If
you have more questions about the avian flu and the predicted
pandemic, see Your
Questions Answered from the fifth
estate’s
special presentation, Black
Dawn: The Next Pandemic.
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