Prescription copy a must for sale of Tamiflu: Health dept

GURUGRAM: To avoid misuse of the drug given to swine flu patients, the health department has directed authorized chemists and government hospitals to maintain a record of all patients who are sold Tamiflu.
As per the drug control officer's order, pharmacists will have to keep a copy of the prescription and details of the patients while selling this medicine. Already, only certain chemists and government hospitals had been authorized to sell Tamiflu to patients.

Besides this, health department has asked all hospitals to report patients who are infected with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. It is mandatory to do so under the Epidemic Act.

All hospitals are to enhance surveillance of H1N1 virus and take immediate action when a patient is suspected of having contracted the flu. Medical staff have been instructed to keep an eye for symptoms like acute respiratory illness and to carefully review any usual symptoms. If a patient is suspected or identified as infected, they are to be screened, investigated and treated as per government guidelines.

Government hospitals too will ensure that isolation wards, ICU beds and ventilator facilities are available in the hospitals. In fact, government hospitals can tie up with private sector suppliers to arrange for ventilators. Doctors have urged patients to avoid crowded places or take proper precaution of covering their faces. Also, they have been advised to avoid getting into close proximity with patients suffering from cold or flu, while patients have been advised to cover their mouths and nose to avoid spread of the infection.

The H1N1 virus usually strikes in cold weather and has been earlier reported only during winters. However, recently it changed pattern and people were infected with swine flu during summer months too. District malaria officer Dr S S Saroha said, "A strain was noticed in H1N1 virus this year. It was active in summer months too.

So we are not sure whether swine flu will be equally prevalent this winter. We will wait and watch its behaviour. However, we have issued the necessary instructions."