Originally published October 28 2005
Roche suspends sale of Tamiflu until flu season begins
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
With increased consumption threatening to deplete its supply before the start of flu season, Swiss drug manufacturer Roche decided to suspend its sale of Tamiflu until flu season begins, and then only high-risk circumstances will free up the remaining stores for sale
Swiss drug giant Hoffman-La Roche moved to suspend worldwide pharmacy sales of its drug Tamiflu until the Northern Hemisphere flu season begins, saying soaring consumption threatens to drain the entire winter's allowance of the drug before the influenza season starts.
When distribution resumes, the remaining available drug will be saved for use in high-risk settings - long-term care facilities and hospitals, Paul Brown, an executive for Roche Canada, explained Tuesday.
That move could put an abrupt halt to individual stockpiling of the drug, a practice that has surged as fears of a pandemic have mounted.
It comes, ironically, as Canada's Pandemic Influenza Committee has been debating whether to issue a position statement on whether individuals should or should not stockpile the drug - or whether the government should refrain from advising on a personal choice.
The decision to suspend deliveries to pharmacies won't have an impact on the company's efforts to fill Tamiflu orders from governments that are stockpiling the drug as a hedge against an influenza pandemic, Brown said.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association seized on the announcement as ammunition for its war against Internet pharmacies, saying Tamiflu meant for Canadian drug stores had been diverted to individual stockpilers outside the country.
"If there's a significant amount of that product getting diverted to another market - in this case, the United States - then clearly that can lead to supply problems in the Canadian market, and that's what we've been expressing to Health Canada for three years or more," said executive director Jeff Poston.
Roche has insisted it maintains two streams of product - one for government pandemic influenza stockpiles and a more modest amount distributed to pharmacies, hospitals and long-term care facilities to treat seasonal flu.
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