Some swine flu drug is available in limited quantity
May 01, 2009
I wish to comment on your Thursday article, “Uganda lacks swine flu drugsâ€.
I wish to comment on your Thursday article, “Uganda lacks swine flu drugsâ€.
It is suggested in the article that the drug, Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the antiviral agent for treating swine flu is not readily available in Uganda. Owing to the gravity of this matter, and its likelihood to cause panic, the reporters should have done sufficient research before writing the article.
The writers also mention a number of pharmacies they visited that lacked the drug but I suggest that a good place to start from should have been Vine Pharmaceuticals, Bhatia Towers at a cost of sh8,000 per capsule
(a dose is 75mg every 12 hours for five days). A full dose costs sh80,000 (10 capsules).
For prevention of influenza after exposure in an adult and adolescents over 13 years, one capsule every day for at least seven days does the trick as a post-exposure prophylaxis.
Up to six weeks of therapy are required for prophylaxis during an epidemic.
I am in no way suggesting that there is sufficient stock in case of a full-blown outbreak in Uganda but rather asserting that we have a place to start from and that the situation is not as completely hopeless as the article seems to suggest. I think the matter shifts to cost rather than availability of the product.
Mpaata Owagage
Mulago Hospital
It is suggested in the article that the drug, Tamiflu (oseltamivir), the antiviral agent for treating swine flu is not readily available in Uganda. Owing to the gravity of this matter, and its likelihood to cause panic, the reporters should have done sufficient research before writing the article.
The writers also mention a number of pharmacies they visited that lacked the drug but I suggest that a good place to start from should have been Vine Pharmaceuticals, Bhatia Towers at a cost of sh8,000 per capsule
(a dose is 75mg every 12 hours for five days). A full dose costs sh80,000 (10 capsules).
For prevention of influenza after exposure in an adult and adolescents over 13 years, one capsule every day for at least seven days does the trick as a post-exposure prophylaxis.
Up to six weeks of therapy are required for prophylaxis during an epidemic.
I am in no way suggesting that there is sufficient stock in case of a full-blown outbreak in Uganda but rather asserting that we have a place to start from and that the situation is not as completely hopeless as the article seems to suggest. I think the matter shifts to cost rather than availability of the product.
Mpaata Owagage
Mulago Hospital