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Thursday, September 17, 2009
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Lists of pharmacies prepared to sell Oseltamivir, but they yet to get supply
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Mahbuba Zannat
Even after a week of the government's decision to make the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir available in the market, people are yet to get the swine flu drug at selected pharmacies at district and upazila levels.
Since no drugs have been supplied to the pharmacies till date, patients have no alternative but to go to public hospitals and health centres and queue for long hours seeking treatment.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Drug Administration gave contradictory information about the list of the selected pharmacies.
Asked about the list and why the drugs are yet to be made available, Director General of the DGHS Prof Shah Monir Hossain said he did not know any details about the list. He said Drug Administration is supervising the selection of the pharmacies.
But while talking to The Daily Star Director of Drug Administration Brig Gen Ismail Hossain said the health ministry had prepared a list of pharmacies with the help of district civil surgeons, upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) and drug superintendents.
"We haven't got any list till date but soon after getting it we would order the pharmaceutical companies to supply the anti-viral drug to the pharmacies," he said.
The fact is that the lists have already reached different districts by this time but no drug is supplied to those pharmacies yet.
Three pharmacies in upazila level, five in district level, 10 in metropolitan cities, 20 in Chittagong City and 50 in Dhaka City would be permitted to sell the anti-viral drug, said Prof Shah Monir Hossain on September 6.
To prevent misuse of the drug the government permits a limited number of pharmacies to sell the anti-viral drug, he said.
"Swine flu might spread during this Eid vacation as a large number of people will go to their home villages. So the decision to make the drug available in local pharmacies was taken at a meeting at the health ministry," said Prof Shah Monir Hossain.
He also said the drug would be sold at Tk 150 instead of Tk 180 per capsule.
Our Sylhet correspondent reports that the Sylhet civil surgeon's office has prepared a list of 40 pharmacies including the upazila and district pharmacies. But no drugs have reached those pharmacies yet.
"We don't get the full dose at a time," said an aggrieved patient at Dhaka Medical College Hospital who found it quite difficult to stand in a line for hours for four capsules in such health condition.
"I could easily buy the medicine from pharmacy if it was made available," she said preffering anonymity
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesig...php?nid=106177
<FIELDSET>
Lists of pharmacies prepared to sell Oseltamivir, but they yet to get supply
</FIELDSET>
Mahbuba Zannat
Even after a week of the government's decision to make the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir available in the market, people are yet to get the swine flu drug at selected pharmacies at district and upazila levels.
Since no drugs have been supplied to the pharmacies till date, patients have no alternative but to go to public hospitals and health centres and queue for long hours seeking treatment.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and Drug Administration gave contradictory information about the list of the selected pharmacies.
Asked about the list and why the drugs are yet to be made available, Director General of the DGHS Prof Shah Monir Hossain said he did not know any details about the list. He said Drug Administration is supervising the selection of the pharmacies.
But while talking to The Daily Star Director of Drug Administration Brig Gen Ismail Hossain said the health ministry had prepared a list of pharmacies with the help of district civil surgeons, upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) and drug superintendents.
"We haven't got any list till date but soon after getting it we would order the pharmaceutical companies to supply the anti-viral drug to the pharmacies," he said.
The fact is that the lists have already reached different districts by this time but no drug is supplied to those pharmacies yet.
Three pharmacies in upazila level, five in district level, 10 in metropolitan cities, 20 in Chittagong City and 50 in Dhaka City would be permitted to sell the anti-viral drug, said Prof Shah Monir Hossain on September 6.
To prevent misuse of the drug the government permits a limited number of pharmacies to sell the anti-viral drug, he said.
"Swine flu might spread during this Eid vacation as a large number of people will go to their home villages. So the decision to make the drug available in local pharmacies was taken at a meeting at the health ministry," said Prof Shah Monir Hossain.
He also said the drug would be sold at Tk 150 instead of Tk 180 per capsule.
Our Sylhet correspondent reports that the Sylhet civil surgeon's office has prepared a list of 40 pharmacies including the upazila and district pharmacies. But no drugs have reached those pharmacies yet.
"We don't get the full dose at a time," said an aggrieved patient at Dhaka Medical College Hospital who found it quite difficult to stand in a line for hours for four capsules in such health condition.
"I could easily buy the medicine from pharmacy if it was made available," she said preffering anonymity
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesig...php?nid=106177
