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Move to curb use of Tamiflu in H1N1 cases
The health authorities in the country are considering stopping administering of an anti-viral drug to all suspected cases of H1N1.
The Technical Health Committee for Combating H1N1 is discussing options and might soon issue a decision to administer the anti-viral drug, Tamiflu, only to the high-risk group and change the current policy of administering the drug to everyone who shows flu-like symptoms at all government and private hospitals as well as primary healthcare centres, a health official told Khaleej Times.
The decision will be based on the reviewed recommendations by the World Health Organisation that suggest that the drug should only be administered to patients from the high-risk group, including children, pregnant women and elderly or to patients (not from the high-risk category) whose H1N1 tests have confirmed the case.
“Unnecessary consumption of the drug may lead to resistance against the virus in the body which we do not want to happen,” said the official.
He, however, denied that giving the drug to all suspected cases would lead to a shortage of Tamiflu. Recently, the Health Ministry approved local production of BR Flu, a generic and cheaper version of Tamiflu.
The health body also urged healthcare providers to rely on clinical judgment before taking a decision to carry out a confirmatory test or administer the anti-viral drug.
“We follow what the health body says and also encourage doctors to follow their clinical judgment,” said the official who requested anonymity. Also based on WHO recommendations, the UAE last month banned all healthcare centres from carrying out unnecessary rapid tests.
“We have also seen healthy persons recover from the disease after following the instructions of doctors and even without being given the anti-viral (drug) in some cases,” said the official. — asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.ae
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