The central government has announced strict control over the domestic sale and distribution of avian flu drug Oseltamivir Phosphate in the country. While all future supply of bird flu drug to private distribution channels will remain prohibited, the companies will have to submit detailed statement of the existing stocks that have been already supplied to distributors, stockists and retailers. The government order is intended to help the government have a better idea about bird flu drug stocks for effectively dealing with any disease outbreak.

According to a recent directive issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the central and state/UT administrations are to make arrangements for the distribution of Oseltamivir Phosphate and its formulations through public health systems of the country. However, the restrictions do not apply to companies which are manufacturing the drug for export purposes.

The government notification in this regard says that the 'distributors, stockists and dealers holding stock of Oseltamivir Phosphate shall submit to the state government/UT Administration a statement within a period of 30 days containing therein the quantity of such preparation available with them'.

It should be noted that the government has already procured one lakh doses of the drug at an approximate cost of Rs 7crore from Roche and from Hetero Drugs Ltd. The decision to stockpile the drug was later clarified to be taken as per WHO guidelines.

With the shelf life of the current stock of Oseltamivir Phosphate formulations to be over soon, the government seems to have taken the safer route of controlling the sale of drugs rather than purchasing / stockpiling the doses. In addition to multinational Roche, Hetero Drugs Limited, Cipla and Ranbaxy are the other companies which have shown the capability to manufacture the drug.