Govt to distribute free flu medicine through clinics

The government will provide the antiviral drug oselamivir to patients with influenza-like symptoms free of charge at private clinics around the country.

Meanwhile, foreign firms, embassies and international organisations will be allowed to stockpile oseltamivir for their emergency use against the pandemic of type-A (H1N1) flu.
The handout of free medicine is aimed at preventing more fatalities of people infected by the virus, which has already killed 71 people as of yesterday. Seven people are in intensive care units.
Over 800,000 tablets of oselamivir will be handed out to medical clinics by mid-August, Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday.
"These clinics should not charge patients for oseltamivir as the government will foot the bill," he said.
Having concluded that some healthy persons died from the flu because they were not treated with the drug or were given it too late, the government is now encouraging doctors and clinics to dispense the medicine as soon as patients show serious flu symptoms.
Clinics that get the state-sponsored drug are also required to collect detailed information about their patients and use a referral system so that patients can be transferred to appropriate hospitals.
Initially, each clinic will get 50 tablets of oselamivir.
Medical Registration Division's director Dr Tara Chinakarn said only 8,700 of 17,000 clinics nationwide and 2,000 clinics in Bangkok are competent to dispense the antiviral drug to patients with flu-like symptoms.
Regarding the move to allow foreign organisations to bring in anti-flu drugs, the Public Health Ministry said local units of the World Health Organisation and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, for example, are not required to register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to import medicines at this time.
The FDA said each foreign organisation may import antiviral drugs for 20-30 per cent of their local employees. The drugs can be stored at a hospital and will be prescribed only by doctors.
In a related development, a 16-year-old girl who is two-months pregnant suffered a miscarriage after being infected with the type-A (H1N1) virus.
The Health Ministry is now drafting guidelines for physicians to provide special care for pregnant women who are admitted to hospital.
Dr Tawee Chotepitayasunon, head of the Public Health Ministry's influenza team, said the guidelines would be released next week.
However, he advised pregnant women to seek medical help immediately after developing flu-like symptoms, which include fever above 38.5 Celsius.
The Department of Mental Health said public panic over swine flu had lessened.
"We found that people in Bangkok had a better understanding than those living upcountry. That's a good sign in terms of communication [about the disease]," department director Dr Chatree Banchuen said.

The NAtion