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Nebraska to Survey Supplies of Flu Drug Fear of Avian Strain Leads to Hoarding U.S. Shipments Halted Widely Prescribed

Posted on: Friday, 28 October 2005, 18:01 CDT

By Julie Anderson

With concerns rising nationally about flu drug supplies, Nebraska health officials are preparing to survey pharmacies across the state to see how much of the medicine is available.

The Nebraska Health and Human Services System hopes to have results from the survey on Tamiflu early next week, said Leah Bucco- White, an agency spokeswoman. The state will use its Health Alert Network -- the same system it activated last year to monitor supplies of flu vaccine.

"That will tell us if we're concerned or not," she said.

So far, however, the state has not received any calls raising concerns about its availability.

Supplies of Tamiflu, a prescription antiviral drug meant to treat regular flu, are becoming scarce because of worries that the bird flu in Asia might transform into a contagious human flu that circles the globe.

Tamiflu's maker, Roche Holding AG in Switzerland, said Thursday that it was temporarily suspending shipments to pharmacies and wholesalers in the United States because of increased demand. Shipments would continue to the U.S. government.

"We've seen recently some very large purchases at the wholesale level, companies or large entities who are possibly hoarding Tamiflu right now,'' said Darien Wilson, spokeswoman at Roche's U.S. offices in Nutley, N.J.

Kevin Teale, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said he's not aware of any hoarding in Iowa. But a few citizens have called the agency and asked whether they should get Tamiflu as a hedge against a possible avian flu outbreak. The state is telling them not to stockpile the drug.

"We want Tamiflu to be available for those who actually need it, not just those who think they might need it," he said.

Tamiflu seems to offer some protection to people against the type of flu that has devastated Asian poultry flocks and is spreading to birds in Europe. Bird flu has killed more than 60 people over the past two years.

Dr. Phil Smith, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said he had heard of a few doctors locally receiving requests for the prescription drug. And he's gotten calls from doctors asking whether they should prescribe it in such cases.

"I say 'Don't do it,'" he said. The drug should be saved for those who need it most, he said.

Smith is also concerned that using a lot of Tamiflu to treat conventional flu could lead to drug resistance down the road.

Several other drugs are avail able to treat conventional flu, he said. He encouraged doctors considering using Tamiflu for conventional flu to reserve it for confirmed cases, not just flulike illness.

Nationally, sales of the drug at Walgreens drugstores are up significantly compared with the same period a year ago, said Michael Polzin, a Walgreens spokesman in Deerfield, Ill.

The company does have stocks in its warehouses, which local stores can get access to, but they are beginning to run low, he said.

Marty Feltner, a pharmacist at Kohll's Pharmacy and Homecare at 84th Street and West Center Road, said he hasn't seen a run on the drug.

Records indicate that the seven Kohll's stores have dispensed enough of the drug for 30 people. He's seen prescriptions from two people concerned about avian flu.

Widely prescribed

Prescriptions of the flu medicine Tamiflu rose sharply in recent weeks.

Oct. 21: 67,443, +293% over a year ago

SOURCE: Verispan

Source: Omaha World - Herald

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