Private companies begin hunt for Tamiflu stockpiles

Private firms in Britain are arranging stockpiles of Tamiflu, the anti-viral treatment for avian flu, as the drug's manufacturer said panic buying had almost exhausted the National Health Service's supply.

The Government has ordered 14.6 million Tamiflu courses at a cost of 200 million ($500 million), delivered at the rate of 800,000 courses a month.

Tamiflu maker Roche said: "We are in discussion with a number of corporations but they have requested their details are kept confidential. Our priority is to fill the Government's order."

Roche said up to 50,000 courses were used by the NHS in an average flu season and most of those had already gone despite there being little flu about this year.

"People have been panic buying from doctors and pharmacies because of avian flu," Roche said.

"We do have stock in place but because there has not been much flu about this year we have not pushed it out."

Private health group Bupa has been asked to order Tamiflu stocks for some of its corporate clients.

Tamiflu was developed as a treatment for seasonal winter flu. It can shorten the illness and reduce its severity. It also works against avian flu, reducing the risk of complications such as pneumonia, but evidence of its effectiveness in a pandemic is limited.

Front-line NHS workers and essential services such as police would be given priority for NHS stocks in the event of a pandemic.

As Tamiflu is a prescription drug, companies cannot hand out packs to employees. The drug must be dispensed with a prescription - limiting it to firms with a doctor or occupational health service.

Roche said it was planning for a more severe flu season in Britain this winter because the last two had been relatively mild. "We will make sure there is enough Tamiflu in place," the spokeswoman said.

The private medical organisation Casualty Plus, which runs nine medical centres across London, said it had seen a 12-fold increase in demand for seasonal flu vaccinations and Tamiflu.

Many corporate clients had staff who travelled overseas and needed the drug for trips to the Far East. "We are writing private prescriptions for Tamiflu as the clinical need dictates," a spokesman said.

"Companies have asked us to hold stocks of Tamiflu. We are looking at the ethical and practical implications of this."

A spokesman for the World Health Organisation said: "We do not advise individuals to stockpile this drug for any purpose. There is no indication for anyone to be taking the drug other than the specific high-risk groups in which avian disease has become a problem."

- INDEPENDENT