Tamiflu usage and NHS advice

Before I start this let me first state that I live in Britain and we are currently seeing very severe weather with thousands of people snowed in and unable to travel!!!

Ok...

About a month ago my stepfather was told he had swine flu. He always said that he didn’t feel very ill and never took the Tamiflu that was prescribed to him. The batch of Tamiflu has been kept in a cupboard along with other medical items (Paracetamol, bandages, plasters etc...)

Yesterday my Sisters boyfriend was diagnosed with Swine flu. He is showing all the classic signs of severe flu and can barely move. He has been told that my sister can go and collect the Tamiflu for him but unfortunately, due to the current weather conditions, my sister cannot travel the distance to get it.

Not a problem, my sister thought, we can just use my stepdads batch. However, deciding to be careful and not take any risks my sister decided to call the NHS Direct helpline to confirm if it was ok to do this...

NHS Direct told my Sister the under NO circumstance should she give her boyfriend the other batch of Tamiflu, even if it has been prescribed by a local doctor and sourced from the NHS. They went on to explain that each batch has a number that can be traced back to the patient and if there was any complications they would need to know exactly what batch they had taken.

Am i being paranoid or does this seem a little odd?

Under normal circumstance i would understand this completely. But we are talking about exceptional circumstance. Someone is sick with an illness which can be potentially life threatening... they cannot get to the medication that will help them due to an extreme weather event... Someone who lives close by has the exact medication they need... yet the NHS say that they cannot take this medication.

Why?

Could the Doctors just ask for the other batch number and then associate it with the new patient??

It makes no sense to me... Unless they are hiding something!!

Just thought i’d put this out there to see what people think... thanks

It would be a standard procedure and a standard response from the NHS operator.

Basically the Tamiflu was prescribed by a doctor to a named individual - so this medicine comes under whatever class they call it where a doctors prescription is required... i,e, it's not 'over the counter' meds like cough syrup etc.

So I would of thought that the person you were talking to was not a doctor, so that person cannot prescribe any medicine, they do not understand how the med's work, they do not know patient history in short they are not in a position and they do not have the knowledge to tell you to do that... Shold that person even hint that taking that med's was OK and then the person dies from anything, even if they develop something entirely unrelated then their neck will be on the line - they just don't get paid enough.

Even if 2 people are taking the same drug, I would of thought any doctor would always want to give a fresh prescription rather than allow them to share drugs prescribed to one person - of course they will make a judgement call in life and death situations - but in all reality swine flu is very very rarely a life and death situation - if it is call an ambulance... If you are snowed in then you get a helicopter ride! - The tax payer will never begrudge you that

Originally posted by Muckster
They went on to explain that each batch has a number that can be traced back to the patient and if there was any complications they would need to know exactly what batch they had taken.

From my limited understanding this would be the same for any medicine - you can't necessarily ascribe a conspiracy angle solely on that - although I also am very suspicious of the entire Swine Flu debacle and I personally would just hide away with good food and vitamins (and whiskey - I know it won't help the immune system but try to prey it out of my weak flu ridden hands and I will sneeze on you!!!) and let my body fight it - if I die I died fighting!

[edit on 7/1/2010 by Now_Then]

If Tamiflu really helped I'd suggest using it anyway, but the fact is it's pretty useless. It has to be given in the first 48 hours after showing symptoms, and then only decreases symptoms slightly and decreases the length of illness by about 1 day.

Old fashioned nursing with rest, warm baths, lots of freshly squeezed lemon and honey drinks, chicken soup, these are more useful.

If you can pick fresh lemons and squeeze them immediately they are brilliant.

Also, breathing steam from hot water with chopped raw onion and basil in it helps, and tea-tree oil is wonderful for this flu if you can get it.

reply to post by Now_Then


Dam you for being so logical and sensible about this issue...

I now feel a bit stupid... I think that having only 3 hours sleep last night may have left me a little paranoid

Er... what? why you looking at me? You talking about me?? Don’t take the evil pill!!



Star for making me look stupid

reply to post by Muckster


First of all is already been shown that the swine flu hype is was nothing but for profits, still I applaud the NHS approach to the use and distribution of such a dangerous and controversial medication like Tamiflu, you know if the swine or regular flu don't kill you tamiflu can.

Still here in the US Tamiflu is given away like candy because is not repercussion in case of death.

reply to post by Muckster

Just got back from having my final jab for Hep B protection, And was querying the sister there about swine flu anti viral injections. She said its pointless now as it (H1) has know moved on and mutated to its next level and the currant batch is now not much good at covering you (about 40% coverage).
Also the stocks here have started to run out, And would personally not take the anti viral herself ? ...