Companies' Tamiflu purchases questioned

BOSTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Federal and state health officials said stockpiling purchases of Tamiflu by companies like the Boston-based law firm Ropes & Gray could be problematic.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Bill Hall said by purchasing large amounts of Tamiflu, those companies are potentially keeping the antiviral medication from those who truly need it, The Boston Globe said Friday.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines urge in the face of the spread of the H1N1 virus, antiviral medications should be reserved for those at risk of dangerous complications or those already seriously ill.

"We are very concerned about resistance," Hall said. "Prescribing antivirals indiscriminately is not consistent with our guidance. Most people (who get H1N1) don't become severely ill and don't need to have antivirals."

Dr. Lauren Smith, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's medical director, also urged companies not to stockpile such medications for their employees as a precaution.

"The widespread and injudicious use of these important medications poses a substantial public health risk," Smith told the Globe. "We don't encourage the widespread prescribing of antibiotics for 'just in case' uses."