Interestingly from a supply point of view, the GP I went to had limited knowledge of Relenza, and indicated he had no reason to prescribe it in preference to Tamiflu.
He had trouble working out how much to order (I wanted 2 packs). He went onto his prescription database - but hedidn't seem to be able to order Relenza in Packs - I think he had to order in doses (a pack comes with 5 discs each with 4 doses - enough for 5 days treatment - 2 doses morning & night).
I had to ring around the Pharmacies to find one that stocked it, and they were similarly confused over converting doses to boxes/packs (several staff were involved in sorting out the confusion!).
This needs to be sorted out from a prescibing & marketing/delivery perspective!
I found the diskhaler easy to use (the instructions were clear) after a bit of fiddling about to see how it worked. It is a sophisticated piece of equipment - well designed - presents well - and gives confidence that you are taking a safe and sophisticated medication.
The cost at $42.55 per pack was cheaper than Tamiflu at $44.20.
It seems we need to encourage Relenza use at the first signs of flu-like illness - the earlier the better.
I suspect most people are intially not sure what they are suffering from - is it the flu?/is it the common cold? /Will it just go away if I do nothing?/then they crash!
Setting up a website, as the UK Government has done, would seem to be a good way to go. You can register on-line if you have suspected flu and are then given a unique number to access antivirals from the Government stockpile at the local "antiviral dispensary" - eg a shopfront.
The antivirals can be picked up by a family member based on the unique number (for free I believe).
This is far better than the flu-affected person going down-town to visit the GP or outpatients dept at the local hospital and risking further spread - as well as clogging up the health system.
If Australia were to go down the Web-site approach - GSK/Biota need to ensure that there is a choice of antivirals including Relenza.
Finally, at $42 a pack, Relenza is a good insurance policy to have on hand if you are travelling overseas, as I will be in a weeks' time.
BTA Price at posting:
$1.95 Sentiment: LT Buy Disclosure: Held
