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We can’t get hands on flu drugs say London doctors
Sophie Goodchild, Anna Davis and Peter Dominiczak29.04.09
London doctors are struggling to cope with suspected cases of swine flu because of a lack of basic resources, it was claimed today.
The Health Protection Agency was accused of “not living in the real world” as it emerged pharmacists have been left without stocks of anti-flu drugs.
Patients are unable to get anti-viral drug Tamiflu on prescription because only a few chemists have stocked up.
Health trusts are understood to be releasing their own stockpiles of the drug today to “designated” pharmacies. But this comes several days after NHS Direct received the first reports of suspected cases in the UK.
Officials also admitted that a national flu helpline for distributing Tamiflu will not be ready for months.
There has also been confusion over the screening of patients with flu symptoms who turn up at GP surgeries. Experts at units run by the HPA are supposed to visit people at home and take swab samples. But some GPs have resorted to conducting the tests themselves because health officers have not been available.
Dr Gregor McEwan said he has at least one woman patient suspected of being infected with the H1N1 virus. He criticised health chiefs for failing to provide suspected swine flu patients with expert medical attention. HPA officials told him to prescribe Tamiflu to the patient who recently returned from holiday in Canada via New York. But he has contacted all the pharmacists in the area and none has stocks of the drug.
Dr McEwan, a GP with the Clapham Family Practice in Clapham High Street, said: “I am supposed to give this woman a prescription for Tamiflu but I know for a fact she won't be able to find any pharmacist in Clapham who has it in stock. I've already called.”
Dr McEwan accused the Government of not properly managing the situation. He said: “They obviously have not thought the management of this potential health crisis through. I have already had six or seven other patients call the surgery after returning from holiday in Spain and elsewhere with fever.
“I have the HPA guidance and all of that but my dealings with the HPU left me feeling they were not living in the real world. If the situation carries on as it is things are going to be completely unmanageable.” He claimed doctors had not even been supplied with face masks.
A straw poll of chemists across London found many would have to order Tamiflu but the Evening Standard did track down one with the drug in stock. W J Boyes in Clapham South is one of the few and it only has three boxes which were ordered directly through suppliers.
There are four Health Protection Units in London which should be carrying out the tests but Dr McEwan said the one in Lambeth told him to carry out the swab tests himself.
He told medical magazine Pulse: “I rang the local HPU in Lambeth and spoke to a person who was blasé at best. They told me they would courier over the swabs to take and advised me to issue a prescription for Tamiflu and that's pretty much all they could help me with.”
The GP said he feared the woman could have exposed other people to the virus after she was advised to attend his surgery.
He said: “They told me they have dealt with other practices and told them to tell any patients with suspected swine flu to come in and for GPs to see them in another room. Even on that advice, they would have exposed themselves to several more people.
“Between now and the time the swab results are confirmed I might have had 30 or 40 patient contacts. Not to mention I have a young child and a wife, who is extremely worried.”
A Department of Health said the HPA was sending out anti-viral drugs directly to the homes of anyone who had been affected. A spokeswoman urged doctors not to prescribe the drug but wait for supplies to be sent to individual patients.
Millions of extra masks are being ordered for nurses and doctors working with infected patients in the event of a pandemic breaking out in Britain.
Information leaflets on the virus will be delivered across the UK in the coming days and will contain information about the flu outbreak and how to prevent it spreading.
Reader views (19)
My brother has got swine flu, and we got a prescription from the hospital; but the thing is that there are no flu drugs left, in any pharmacy's. This is crazy.
- Summaya, london, uk
The HPA are chasing their tails and cannot cope with the problem. they are a waste of space and money.
The situation in some schools is ridiculous. Last week every school that had a confirmed case was identified, the school was closed, medicine ws dispensed to close contacts, staff and parents were informed of sxistence of a case on site.
This has now changed without any explanation. Many schools with swine flu cases are no longer informing parents or staff of the number or natire of the cases on site. the HPA are supporting this withholding of infomration in order to avoid mass panic. In some institutions, staff who ask for information about the nature of the illnesses in their increasingly absent classes, are treated like criminals for attempting to breach the confidentiality code.
Sick staff are suddenly being refused medication and made to wait days for a swab. The HPA claims that every institution has a detailed and robust plan to deal with swine flu. The sad truth is, they have not got a clue what to do. Last w The same HPA staff who dished out the medication last week, are witholding it now without explanation. The same HPA who preach the 'Catch it, bin it ,kill it' campaigh have not even managed to provide basic sanitary items like soap or tissues for students. How are they expected to wash their hands? The HPA have no right to withold information and resources or to play russian roulette with schools as they close some and abandon others to fend for themselves
- Teacher From London School, london
Flu drugs?? You mean you don't have ample supplies of simple Vitamin D laying about?? This MAN-MADE virus is a scam -- another manufactured distraction that serves a dual purpose: 1) to divert the citizens' attention away from the high crimes of government and big business, and 2) so that a few well-connected pharmaceutical companies make a quick killing - big banks got their truckloads of past, present, and future taxpayer paychecks, now BigPharma wants more more more. Suckers. If someone comes at me with a needle and syringe full of tainted "vaccine", they're going to get shot in the face.
- VoxVeritatis, New York, USSA
Would you like all the stocks of antivirals to be used up now before a potential pandemic hits or would you like to save them for when it's confirmed in your area?
- Anne, London, uk
...this little piggy went to mexico...this little piggy went to america...this little piggy went to canada...this little piggy went to guatemala...and this little piggy flew, flew, flew, flew all the way to london
- Miigonasens, Daki Menan, Canada
there is no way the Government are going to get 37 millions doeses to doctors it will take months People will die from this outbreak because we are governed by a bunch of inefficient lyers
- Sheila, london uk
Plus I expect most of us saw the footage of the man hanging out of his flat saying he couldn't get the tamiflu. What's going on? If this thing really kicks off, how is this country going to cope? We ain't seen nothing yet. So much for Gordon Browns claim that this country is one of the best prepared. Then God help the rest I say.
- Chrissy, Halifax UK
@ Kerry: dont forget about the second hand needles offered by every tramp outside each train station
- Jennifer, London
And Gordychuff-all says we are better placed than most to deal with the problem - what a joke - I would stand to hold the government of this country negligent if this continues!
- Wallytrader, London
Next thing we know it will be leaked that all thirty million courses of Tamiflu were stored in a warehouse in the outer Hebrides that's been flooded / burned down / robbed. Or that someone thought they were surplus and threw them away.
It would be funny if it wasn't so deadly serious. And when people are dying like flies, one thing we can be sure of. THEY will all get their Tamiflu.
- Nigel, London
Don't worry there will be plenty of tamiflu available for the rich and famous.
Fake ones will be on sale in every asian corner shop at inflated prices, or brought in by eastern european gangsters and sold down the pub.
Oh happy is England!
- Kerry, Purley
ever had the feeling the uk will get hit and hit hard. then there will be an enquiry and guess what? lessons will be learnt. its tragic nobody trusts this lot with their lives and loved ones
- Mikeee, peterborough uk
DON'T PANIC!!!
- Clive Dun, Lewisham, UK
Brown abolished boom and bust and Brown has everything under control. Brown the world saviour. Blair and Brown all talk and no delivery. I cannot trust primary healthcare trusts for managing anything. After MRSA, NHS is least prepared to tackle any infection, but yet employs thousands of administrators and its chief executives are paid hundreds of thousands for running shoddy services. Only in Britain in Europe we tolerate this sickly health service.
- Gary, London
You can't be the best prepared country...our Minister of Helth in France told us that we were....at least we know one thing....both are lying to us !
- Terry. B, Toulouse, France
Dont worry everyone. The Government has everything under control and assure us the NHS can cope.
Compare that with other comments made about Flu Pandemics over the last few years and you will see someone is telling lies again. Can you guess who?
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke
Please don't get yourselves vaccinated, London; vaccines are at best useless and at worst, poisonous, especially as Baxter is involved (the ones that contaminated their bird flu vaccine with...bird flu!) Don't fall for all this nonsense about Swine Flu: thousands die every month from "regular" flu.
- Neil, London, London UK
The prime minister has said Britain is "among the best prepared countries in the world" to deal with the outbreak.
Pity the medicine supplies aren't in place yet Mr Brown. Still I am sure it will be sorted upon your return from saving the world again.
- David T, London
I don't blame the chemists or the doctors, just the latest totally untrue statement from the government - only 2 days ago?
- Marianne, SW France
