Don’t buy flu drugs online, Dorset health experts warn (From Bournemouth Echo)

Don’t buy flu drugs online, Dorset health experts warn

8:20am Sunday 5th July 2009 in

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A DORSET health chief has warned people not to panic-buy antiviral drugs on the internet after it was revealed new cases of swine flu could rise to 100,000 a day nationally.

The government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, confirmed that the UK has moved on from “containment” to the “treatment” phase.

This means diagnoses will be made by GPs based on symptoms instead of laboratory tests. They will decide whether individual patients need the Tamiflu antiviral medication.

A spokesperson for NHS Bournemouth and Poole said: “Our efforts during the containment phase have allowed us to slow the spread of the virus, build up medical supplies and ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to manage the situation on an ongoing basis.”

Dr Adrian Dawson, director of public health for NHS Bourne-mouth and Poole, said: “No-one needs to buy Tamiflu. Nationally, we have the biggest stockpiles of the antiviral in the world, and we have everything in place locally to ensure that everyone who needs Tamiflu will receive it.

“Buying prescription medication from an unknown source is a huge risk to health. Firstly, people should only take medication prescribed to them by a doctor, and secondly, the medication may not contain what is advertised. My advice is: don’t do it.”

Earlier this week, the trust said it had only had a “handful of cases” of swine flu so far and no-one had needed to go into hospital.

Anyone who thinks they have the illness should check their symptoms on nhs.uk, call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, or ring the swine flu information line on 0800 1 513 513.

If still worried, they should ring their GP – and stay away from the surgery or hospital emergency departments.