Karnataka government has now permitted sale of Tamiflu the only drug to treat H1N1 virus, at 22 wholesale and 48 retail pharmacy outlets across the state. The drug will be sold as a Schedule X drug. This is keeping in line with the Union government's notification directing all the state governments to authorize wholesale and retail outlets to sell it in the open market.

The availability of Tamiflu which was so long restricted only to government hospital pharmacies allows the patient who is diagnosed of H1N1 virus to purchase it off pharmacy outlets through a prescription. The doctors diagnosing patients with swine flu symptoms can now prescribe the drugs to treat the conditions. Earlier the doctors referred them to hospitals where patients could source the drugs free of cost.

There are 22 wholesale outlets which have been authorised and these are at Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore and Udupi to sell the Tamiflu as a Scheduled X drug. Schedule X norms comes in for psychotropic drugs. In the case of Tamiflu, the DCGI has called all state drug licensing authorities to follow the rules of Schedule X. This is to make the sale of the drug more stringent to avoid misuse, Dr. BR Jagashetty, Karnataka drugs controller told Pharmabiz.

The doctors will provide two sets of prescriptions. While one of them is to be kept by the patient, the other will be handed over to the pharmacy outlet. The pharmacist will have to register the sale of the drug and keep a record of the prescription. The log book will be periodically checked by the drug inspectors who in comes in for random checks, he added.

There are many more sales outlets coming forward to seek licenses to stock Tamiflu. The sale of the drug is ridden by strict rules and procedures. With winter months round the corner, the H1N1 virus is expected to take a virulent form. There is a fear of drug resistance with Tamiflu if it is taken indiscriminately. Therefore, the Union government had been cautious about its sale. This was only to prevent threat of drug resistance to contain the disease.

The drug is available at a few outlets in the state and over 50 percent of these are at pharmacies in Bangalore. The companies permitted to produce the generic version of Tamiflu in India are Ranbaxy, Hetero Drugs, Natco Pharma, Cipla and Strides Arcolab. It would take another three days for the notification to come into effect in the state because the manufacturers carry out the labelling changes on Tamiflu stocks as a Schedule X drug. Right now, Natco is selling Natflu which is the generic version of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) at Rs 480 which is available at a few outlets in the State.

According to IR Perumal, principal secretary, health and family welfare, government of Karnataka, along with this the regular stock of Tamiflu will also be supplied to the state government hospitals for its use.

Meanwhile efforts are also on to intensify the surveillance of H1N1 virus cases in the state.