Tamiflu linked to adverse reactions

A drug stockpiled by governments worldwide to fight bird flu has been linked to hallucinations and other abnormal behaviour.
New Zealand health officials, who have 855,000 courses of the drug Tamiflu, have confirmed three people here have had suspected adverse reactions to it.
But they stress none were neuropsychiatric reactions highlighted in the United States and which have prompted a Food and Drug Administration warning, the Dominion Post reported today.
But Tauranga Hospital infectious diseases physician Brian Dwyer told the Bay of Plenty Times those who had been prescribed the vaccine needed to keep the reports of adverse reactions in perspective.
About 30 million doses of the vaccine had been distributed worldwide and there had been about 100 reports of adverse reactions, he said this morning.
"People have to have a bit of perspective about it,"
he said.
Nigel Gregory, who owns Brookfield Amcal Pharmacy, said the drug had not caused any adverse reactions among his clients.
"Tamiflu is being reclassified next year so we can sell it over the counter over the winter months so they (health authorities) can't be too worried about it," Mr Gregory said.
CentralMed pharmacist Phillip Rowe said he was surprised to hear there had been adverse reactions to the drug.
"We haven't had any," he said.
He expected the Ministry of Health and the drug's manufacturer, Roche, would send out information on the issue and any new guidelines to pharmacists over the next few days.
The Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that the drug's label would be updated to warn users should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behaviour.
But it also said a relationship between the drug and the behaviour had not been established. Severe cases of flu could have sparked the side-effects.
It had received 103 new reports of delirium, hallucinations and other abnormal behaviours in people treated with the anti-viral drug. Most were children from Japan, the biggest user of Tamiflu. At least 12 children taking the drug died in Japan last year.
In New Zealand, Medsafe principal technical specialist Stewart Jessamine said the drug's manufacturer, Roche, had advised that changes would be made to Tamiflu's datasheet in the US and other countries.
Tamiflu is one of a handful of drugs believed to be effective in treating H5N1 bird flu, which has killed about 150 people worldwide since it was first reported in 2003.
The drug can also be used to treat seasonal influenza.
New Zealand has stockpiled 855,000 treatment courses of the drug, enough to treat about 20 per cent of the population, as a key defence in a flu pandemic.
Thousands of Kiwis also have their own supplies. Tamiflu is available for about $75 a course.
Health Ministry public health director Mark Jacobs said the drug's possible side-effects would not threaten New Zealand's response to a pandemic.
Medsafe would make labelling changes if needed.
The ministry said there had been three cases of suspected adverse reactions to Tamiflu reported in New Zealand but none related to the neuropsychiatric conditions highlighted by the FDA.