Tamiflu to be available across the counter

A senior union ministry of health and family welfare member to the city Dr AC Dhariwal on Thursday said the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been asked to prepare an action plan through which Tamiflu can be made available over the counter.
Dhariwal is part of a 5-member team deputed by the ministry to assess the Pune pandemic situation.

“Tamiflu falls in the schedule H category of drugs (dangerous category or drugs with side effects). Therefore, we need to have a full proof plan before it is made available at the counters for sale,” Dhariwal said, while participating in a meeting of the Indian Medical Association Pune chapter with city MP Suresh Kalmadi.

“As per the recommendations given by the central and global health agencies, the ministry is looking at selling Tamiflu tablets only if a person produces a valid medical prescription. “It will be only given with a prescription. Moreover we are also going to ask the chemists to keep a photocopy of the prescription. This will enable us to keep a track and conduct an audit of the medicine supply,” he said.

IMA members had requested Dhariwal to appoint particular chemists shop in the city to sell Tamiflu tablets.

Dhariwal said that Pune and Mumbai have been allotted one lakh Tamiflu tablets each, which would be arriving soon.