I just received my copy of Dr. Woodson’s Bird Flu Manual. In my opinion, it is indispensible if you have children. There is a special chapter called “Home Drug Compounding” (Chapter 9). This chapter alone is worth the money spent on the book. As far as I can tell from a cursory reading of the book, it is everything that Dr. Woodson said it would be, and more. Thank you for answering most of my previous unanswered questions with this book, Dr. Woodson. And if the pandemic is as bad as many predict, I’m sure my children will end up thanking you as well.
Is this book different than the book (once?) available on fluwikie? I read the whole thing (apologies, I have dial up it takes so long to open I am choosing not to specifically check and prepare.) I don’t remember anything about drug compounding, I remember advice about acetominofen and ibuprofen and staggering them, in higher doses than usual. I remember he gave dosages that he recommended…
so this is a different book than the pamphlet of fluwikie then? WHere does one get it, a hard copy that is (have no printer) thanks
New edition, some changes-additions/deletions. Amazon.com or his website
I am waiting for it to ship from amazon.
De jure @ 22:39
I agree wholeheartedly. I have been prepping for over a year but learned many new things from this book. I also think it’s vital for the compounding/making elixirs chapter. I want to have a durable bound copy in my hands for reference if and when I’m forced to treat my kids at home. Other tips I learned include, if worse comes to worse, those N-95 masks can be reused if treated. Don’t hang my solar showers as shown on the package and add sphagnum moss to my camp toilets.
jplanner at 00.56: Yes, the hard copy is, in my opinion, quite a bit different from the web version, which I had also previously downloaded. Like I said, for me at least, the chapter on compounding would have been worth the price of the book all by itself. It tells you how to take adult-sized medicine and turn it into children’s medicine (oral suspensions). It covers adult-strength Tamiflu and acetominaphen, among others. The book gives a dosage chart to tell you how much to give your child according to his or her weight. The chapters on food, alternative energy, water, etc. are also very well written. I was glad to see that I had already done most of what was recommended in those chapters.
I just received the book yesterday afternoon and have been reading selective chapters ever since. The more I read it, the more I believe it is one of the more valuable tools I have picked up since I have started prepping.
I ordered last week… can’t wait to get it and get scared all over again! Just in time for Halloween.
Dr. Woodson, Chapter 9 of your Bird Flu Manual has everything I’d want to reference except prednisone. Is it possible (advisable?) to use a prednisone suspension for children, or just resort to the pill form?
Thanks for the kind words about The Bird Flu Manual.
I decided against putting prednisone, a corticosteroid, because I could not see any reason to recommend that it be included in the Flu Treatment Kit. There are many important uses for this drug. In fact I purchased a stockpile of the drug for my Pandemic Survivor Group’s Neighborhood Heath Network. The more people belonging to your group, the more likely that you will have need for prednisone.
While the average family will not need prednisone, on an individual basis however, this may not be true. For instance, if your child has asthma, having a good store of prednisone could be lifesaving. This is something that your doctor will need to help you with and while I know that my profession has been very discouraging to those requesting drug stockpiles so far, don’t give up on them yet. They will come around sooner or later.
Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
Dr. Woodson - on the point of your peers in the medical community allowing individual clients to obtain prescriptions for a small personal quantity of the necessary anti-virals and antibiotics in advance of a pandemic:
My area doctors are adamantly opposed to writing prescriptions for these necessary drugs, so I find your chapters of the Bird Flu Manual that delineate how, specifically, to use them to be invaluable for those that may have such drugs in their possession, but of no help to those of us who have been unable to obtain these prescriptions in advance. In fact, reading the chapters of The Bird Flu Manual that pertain to this issue has been a very frustrating experience. We come away with the definite feeling that “that would be nice IF…” and then stop reading.
I have read your excellent essay “Support for a Personal Tamiflu Stockpile” at the Bird Flu Manual website http://tinyurl.com/ymzmfz , and I understand that it is meant to be used to help persuade physcians to write prescriptions for the very drugs that will later run short during a pandemic. You begin your essay and your argument with:
“It is responsible and ethical for physicians to prescribe Tamiflu for their patients to stockpile and use later during a possible Bird Flu Pandemic.”
However, in my area Yale University has a great deal of influence and last year at this time they ran a conference that considered the ethical dimensions of the pandemic from the point of view of the medical community. One of their “conclusions” it seems was that it has been deemed unfair to prescribe anti-virals and antibiotics in advance to affluent and educated people who both can afford them and who understand the perils of an advancing pandemic, while the less educated and less affluent will not have this advantage. This reasoning, rather than that of scarcity now, has been offered to me as reason to refuse to write these prescriptions by more than one medical professional.
My children’s pediatrician was one of those who refused on these grounds. She is a very prominent, influential, physcian here. Her father is also a doctor, and one who wrote a textbook in pediatrics that is standard in the field. I will be meeting with my children’s pediatrician in two weeks. Can you think of anything to say to this professional, beyond what you have written in your excellent essay at the Bird Flu Manual website, that might be able to change this influential professional’s opinion? Otherwise, your chapters on administration of anti-virals and anti-biotics appear to many of us like diamonds in the windows of Tiffany’s - nice to dream aobut, but there’s no way they are part of our own experience. (And I do not need to tell you that if we do not get this problem handled now, after the pandemic begins it will be far too late).
Also, I have a question about the ethics of physcians serving a generalized ideal of “good for mankind” vs. serving the good of their own clients and patients. In the medical community, which good has the higher value and imperative?
Thanks, Dr. Woodson, for any input and assistance you can give on this issue.
It’s the LATER part I’m worried about.
The medical profession is, in some areas, still stuck in the 1950′s.
I bought several copies of the hard copy from Amazon.
We keep two at the fire station, and I have two at home, one for general use and one designated for the isolation room.
Bird Guano at 16:29: You just gave me an excellent idea. It would be worth it to order a copy and put it in the waiting room (anonymously, of course) of our local physician, with the paragraph at the bottom of page 43 (The Flu Treatment Kit) bookmarked and highlighted. Doctors never read any of the stuff in their waiting rooms, and after getting asked about it by all of his patients repeatedly, he might just cave in. A call back to the doctor in a week or so might just do the trick. :)
I find Guerilla education is usually most effective.
Good idea.
One thing I have to wonder about when Doctors refuse to write prescriptions so that people can have these drugs on hand. Are they afraid of the Govt regulators coming down on them (not too likely), or are they afraid of the insurance companies. When people get prescriptions for drugs they usually use their insurance to pay for them. Doctors may be afraid of alienating their payers (the insurance companies) if they write too many prescriptions for drugs that aren’t “needed.”
AVanarts at 17:35: I’d be happy to tell you what my doctor told me. Last year he said he’d love to write a prescription for my kids for Tamiflu, but the CDC tracks the prescriptions looking for outbreaks. He didn’t say, but I guess he figures someone would then come down on him for writing unnecessary prescriptions.
My 10 yr old daughter had a post-Prednisone/flare-up recheck with her asthma doc yesterday. I talked to him about my concerns that 1) if a minor respiratory virus threw her asthma into a flare requiring prednisone, she would be in a very bad place with PF and 2) even if, in a pandemic situation, she ‘only’ got a common respiratory virus leading to a flare-up but he was in over his head dealing with full-blown PF patients, she would still be in a mess due to no access to treatment.
He agreed and wrote me a Rx for two rounds of Prednisone. Great. But then I asked him about Tamiflu and his response was that stockpiling it had only been necessary last winter when supplies were short, but they had been assured of adequate stock for this year, so no Rx for that. He totally missed what I was saying and, as far as he was concerned (and I really like this doc otherwise), it was case closed, question answered.
Pixie’s right…for most of us, the meds are unattainable because we are at the mercy of docs who, due to misinformation, concerns about insurance, who-knows-what, keep those script pads shut tight. Incredibly frustrating, especially (for me) because I have four young children whose lives depend on me.
De jure…sounds like we got similar responses re: Tamiflu - would have been ok last winter but not this one. Odd.
I got my book today! When TSHTF it will be indispensible.
My doctor won’t give me extra synthroid, gulocotrol or zocor (like they have street value or something.) Jeez. I am going to buy some somehow, since lack of synthroid will kill me and gloucotrol is necessary to control my sugar. I’ve gone to this doctor for 18 years. She is Soooo fired. She told me the government will give us vaccine. I bet she believes in the tooth fairy too. Time to get a new doctor.
Spirit in the Wind
CDC issued guidance last year for MD’s to NOT write tamiflu for prophylaxis.
Same at the county level. The county medical authority here issued a memo to NOT write Tamiflu scrips for stockpiling, only if somebody presented with the flu and was high risk.
Same with Amantadine, but for a differing reason.
So yes, physicians are herd animals and don’t want to stick out for going against guidance.
I’m glad I got mine last year before all of the restrictions came down.
I saw it coming and sourced alternatively :-)
I’m good till 2010. By then hopefully there will be something better on the market.
De Jure @ 16:42
Wow. Now, that is one great idea - put the manual in doctors’ waiting rooms.
Bird Guano @ 17:59
I sourced alternatively, as well. This is costly, as well as a gamble, but so far it’s worked. I’ve stockpile all of the recommended prescription medicines from foreign pharmacies, and they appear to be legitimate. Of course, you never know.
I was thrilled when I mentioned pandemic flu to my G.P., just last week, and he wrote a prescription for Tamiflu. Boy, did my faith in him increase. I recommend that hesitant folks take the plunge and ask their doctors. They might be surprised.
Have repeated this many times on many different threads. Go out there and get the meds you need. There are reputable internet med suppliers. I think it is a disgrace that so many doctors will not help their long term patients. Gave my doctor Woodson’s pamphlet on why doctors should pre-subscribe Tamiflu, did not make any difference to him.. I complained about that for about a week, did the research and ordered and feel much better for having these things available. Are they genuine? Seem to be, many have used the company from which I obtained my antibiotics, Tamiflu from a company overseas with a real address and phone number. Will not repeat it here until I get one more order and then if anyone is interested will post it here.
Pixie, Petticoat Junction..
my Doc said “No” to my request for Tamiflu etc. I too did the research (you can easily find the info via forum seach for Tamiflu) and purchased from an internet source. It’s not that difficult or expensive. And yes, they are ligit.
You can discuss philosophy & ethics till the cows come home … a waste of time & it pisses off the Docs (like spending time trying to teach pigs to fly). Or you can take action.
I had downloaded the short version,,,,,and really want the long version, so I just ordered the book also. Even though I was a medic at one time in the fire service (gee far too long ago), and have prepped for years, I know that I will add to my education by having this.
Here are a couple of suggestions for discussion with doctors who object to prescribing drugs to their patients to stockpile for use during the pandemic.
Pixie writes “One of their “conclusions” it seems was that it has been deemed unfair to prescribe anti-virals and antibiotics in advance to affluent and educated people who both can afford them and who understand the perils of an advancing pandemic, while the less educated and less affluent will not have this advantage.”
Well this position puts the lie to the obviously bogus notion that Yale is an elitist institution. This sentiment sounds like something coming out of revolutionary France in 1790 rather than one of the foremost bastions of privilege and wealth. Those promulgating this argument should recall that the sword or morality is quit sharp and cuts both ways.
In response I would ask the doctor espousing this position how many of her colleagues in the Yale medical community have obtained a stockpile of Tamiflu for their families. I will wager quite a few. While it not hypocritical for a doctor to obtain their own Tamiflu stockpile because our profession has been designated by CDC as a priority group to receive limited supplies of both anti-viral drugs and vaccines so we will survive to care for the sick and dying. This privilege does not extend to the families or friends of doctors. So, any doctor who uses this reason for not prescribing Tamifu to their patients but has obtained a stockpile for their family or friends is nothing less than a hypocrite. I wonder if she has bought Tamiflu for her children? If she had not but had a stockpile for her own use in case of illness, and her husband or child became ill, would she use her Tamiflu stockpile for them or not? The answer to this question is obvious and shows just how specious and empty it is to take a position like this that one really can’t keep when faced with an ethical dilemma like the scenario above. (On the other hand if she maintains that she would withhold the Tamiflu from her ill family member, find another doctor because this person is seriously out of touch with reality.)
My Roche representative keeps me up-to-date on Tamiflu issues and she told me recently that the company and its Tamiflu licensees have significantly ramped up production of the drug since last fall. They have found a substitute for star anis, which was one of the production rate limiting factors and one of the reasons for the product’s high cost. So the argument that the drug is in such short supply that people stockpiling it for possible use during a pandemic might cause a shortage of the drug now for use in seasonal flu patients is no longer valid. She can check this out for herself. Sure, if everyone tried to buy anything at the same time, there would be a shortage but that is not going to happen since we all know too well that only a small percentage of people are preparing for the pandemic.
In my essay on this, one of the really critical points made is that Tamiflu must be started within 48 hours of the beginning of symptoms for it to be efficacious. During pandemic conditions, with patients crowding hospital ERs and doctor’s offices overflowing, the chances of even getting in to see the doctor are slim to none. If you were given a Tamiflu prescription, you would probably then have to find a pharmacy that had it in stock. At the very least there would be long lines their too. It is my understanding, that should the pandemic arrive, the federal government would take possession of all the Tamiflu in drug distribution warehouses and all future factory production and add it to the nation’s strategic stockpile. They plan to distribute the Tamiflu to the state health departments for redistribution to county health departments and thence to patients. I am very leery of their ability to accomplish this task well.
As a practical matter, it seems to me that given pandemic conditions, the only logical way to ensure that a patient with influenza begins their treatment within 48 hour of the onset of symptoms is if they already have a supply of the drug on hand before they become ill. This requires having a stockpile and is one of the best arguments for allowing patients to obtain one.
Some doctors are reluctant to write these drugs because they think that their patient would not know how to use them properly. This is a valid concern and is one of the reasons I have devoted so much space to this in the Bird Flu Manual. I have also placed the official US FDA approved Package Circular for each of these drugs on the www.BirdFluManual.com website in the Resources section under Influenza Drugs. These are in PDF format and available for downloading. In my opinion, people who care concerned enough to prepare for a pandemic are the last people to waste their precious drug stockpile or use it inappropriately.
The other arguments commonly heard relate to improper use that encourages Tamiflu-resistant influenza and ineffective use due to taking too little drug for not enough time. I deal with both these issues in the essay.
The Noah’s Ark Parallel is an idea that has been rummaging around my mind lately. It applies indirectly to the stockpile issue and is one answer to why you deserve to be granted the privilege to obtain a drug stockpile. Pandemic-aware people can be viewed in some respects as future passengers on the modern-day equivalent of Noah’s Ark.
As we recall, Noah took animals “two by two” into the ark with which he would re-populate the world after the flood. What Noah did was really smart. He took intact families that became the seed stock for the future. The information about the pandemic is open source. You don’t need to know any secret handshakes or be a member of Skull and Bones to have access to this information. The folks seeking passage in this ark have selected themselves rather than being picked by Noah. Who is buying passage on this ark and whom are they buying tickets for? The pandemic-prepared are obtaining passage for their family and friends, just like Noah did before the flood.
Families that make it through the pandemic intact and in good physical and mental shape will be the seed stock for the recovery that will follow the pandemic. A great deal of work will be required to help straighten out our world and who best to do so but the members of stable healthy families. Since there is no Noah at work today, we have both the right and responsibility to humankind to make this choice for ourselves.
Since society as a whole treats the pandemic pretty causally, taking very few if any steps to prepare, it seems to me that if a small sub-set of the populations wishes the become well prepared, it would be in the best interest of all for society to support their efforts. If not outright support, then society should not stand in their way or obstruct their efforts. To the extent that a physician’s refusal to prescribe these medications to their patient prevents them from fully preparing for the pandemic, this act constitutes obstruction. If the action is based upon a decision of medical community as a whole as in Yale’s case, then to the extent that doctors represent their community it constitutes an obstruction sanctioned by society. This is an unwise policy to follow in my view since it is likely to result in harm to the patient that could be avoided if the doctors supported the efforts of pandemic preparers instead of discouraging them.
As I have said in other threads, be patient with your doctor. Don’t give up on them. Try not to argue with them about it because if you push them into a corner, it will only take them longer to come around. Be nice. Give them a small gift during the holidays. Pay your bills promptly (all doctors are very grateful for this). Ask nicely. Eventually, they will see the light. Have on had the list and quantity of drugs you want. Once they agree to prescribe meds for you to stockpile, show them the list and see what they say. They may well have other suggestions for you than the ones in my book. Follow their advice. They know your needs better than anyone else.
I really can’t think of any rational reason not to prescribe the drugs recommended in the Flu Treatment Kit to patients for stockpiling. Some doctors are even refusing to prescribe a 6-month supply of medication they themselves have prescribed for patients to stockpile for treatment of the high blood pressure or diabetes. This is completely unjustified. Of course, if the doctor wrote the prescription, the insurance company would not cover the cost. This would be OK if the drug was a generic and reasonably priced but buying a 6-month stockpile of most brand named drugs would not be affordable for many patients.
Good luck,
Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
I’m not all that interested in tamiflu for pan-flu, because of the probability resistence willhave developed by the time pan-flu gets to this part of the world. But having had a nasty flu last year, I’m interested in tamiflu for the regular flu season. And seems to me if it’s supposed to be taken within 48 hours, given that doctor offices are closed on weekends and holidays, one needs the drug or at least the prescription on hand ahead of time in case of needing it over a weekend or thanksgiving or other winter holiday (or when traveling).
If friday night is when you should start taking it, you can’t wait ‘til Monday to get the script even if the doc would be able to give you an appointment the same day you call for one!
Thanks for clarity above De Jure et all about precisely which book was being discussed.
My Harvard Doc (Pixie I think we have the same situation in Boston as you do with Yale med) has same attitude. I got glared at by my doc, and was told in an icy tone that there was no medical necessity for Tamiflu script or pneumovax. She talked about how if people horded, others wouldn’t get it when they were sick. There seemed to be an undercurrent that it would be selfish for me to have a script. I bet it was the same reasoning your doc had.
I am so sorry Pixie that your pediatrician can;t see the light, if it were kids, my kids, I would be even more incensed.
Funny, I go to a public health clinic which has many uninsured people, immigrants, low income people. Excellent docs and near my house. But you’d think if they prescribed Tamiflu there they’d be evening out the score some.
I might try a “doc in the box” to get a tamiflu script. My friends sister in law is an MD and she hasn’t gotten the guts up to ask her to write one for her kids. Next time, for them, the doc is over I will purposely bring up the conversation.. She just finished her boards so has not been paying attention to outside world and is ignorant about threat of pandemic,but not resistant…at least that family, those kids will be taken care of.
For myself, I might try a “doc in the box” if I can find one…I wish I got sick. If I got a bad cold with a fever soon I could pretend it ‘s the flu (ache all over, cough wakes me out, my fevers down because I took ibuprofen) and get a script.
I feel so unsupported by my doctor, judged even, hard to “be patient’ with them as Doc WOodson, well meaningly, suggests. I hate feeling forced into deviousness. I do have one round of “tamiflu” from overseas pharmacy I got last year. I donm’t trust it and it probably isn’t enough. I must SIP alone (no chance for “flu servival group” or whatever it is called in the book. I think that might work better for people who have families or friends willing to prep. Or neighbors they know. Maybe bettter in the country or suburbs than in the city where people are transitory and you dont’ know your neighbors)so just can’t get sick. THere will be no one to take care of me and “recycle the tamiflu” from my body if I am incapacitated and can’t do it myself)
SOrry to digress. It is demorlizing to me to realize ..realistically…I dont’ have people to SIP with. I am sure reading all about that in the book will be distressing. As is the reality for the pandemic.
(hi jplanner - gee, wonder why aren’t we asleep at these times of night…)
Thanks Dr. Woodson. I very much like your analogy of Noah’s Ark, and as these physcians are getting a truer picture of what the unfolding of an actual pandemic would look like, perhaps your strategy in stressing the value to society of having at least a few people fully able, ready, and prepared, vs. all of us being equitably and terribly unprepared, is a very sound one philosophically, and I hope a sound one in practicality. For physcians like my pediatrician who feel they are setting a moral standard for the benefit of society overall, perhaps your points will have some influence.
I would, however, prefer to see Tamiflu in the hands of the parents of all the 1,600 children who are clients at this medical practice, rather than just a few. To stress the point about early vs. late Tamiflu treatment, I do plan to make up some kind of a summary of patient outcomes so far for those treated immediately vs. those who received anti-virals later. Recently, I came down with a bad case of strep on a Friday. It was 72 hours before I could get into any medical practice here for a swab and a prescription for antibiotics, and it is not flu season yet nor is there a pandemic in progress. At this point, if the pandemic begins tomorrow, there are no anti-viral stockpiles at our state level, and plans to obtain those stockpiles quickly and to distribute them are sketchy at best. I just do not see how the “moral” plan of waiting until the very last moment, and having everyone equitably all go down with the ship together, is a smart one.
Also, Dr. Woodson, while I am most concerned with the caretaking of children (the highest risk group) your Noah’s Ark analogy has given me an idea that can perhaps be used at the level of municipal town planning. Perhaps town leaders can be pursuaded to put their collective heads together to come up with the name of a local physcian who can be pursuaded to write advance prescriptions for the critical town workers who will be needed to keep things together during a pandemic. Having such a stockpile in hand may be a factor in motivating people to keep working, and keep helping, as the crisis unfolds. While they all typically give assurances that a strategic government stockpile will appear at some point, I don’t think many will be willing to bet their lives on it (they, more than anyone, understand how inefficient government is in reality).
Thanks again, Dr. Woodson.
It has been very distressing for me to hear these stories from those who commented on this thread and elsewhere on the difficulty you are having getting your doctors to help you prepare.
In response, I am cooking up a “Dear Colleague” letter that makes the case for why doctors should help their patients prepare and what they can do.
My intent is that this will be something people can download and print out for their doctor to read. This happens all the time in our office and admittedly most of the time the material ends up in the garbage can. Understanding this reality, I will see if I can write something that will get their attention sufficiently to read the whole thing. Even if they do, it may not change their mind or be of any immediate help to their patients but you never know. It will take me a while to complete this so be patient.
Grattan Woodson, MD
Thats nice of you Dr. Woodson, thanks.
ALot of my ire/distress is about the attitude. I will be changing PCP’s soon.
jplanner: I’ve been talking with people about the hoarding word as well; I’m sure this has come up on the Flu WIki before, but it was something I finally realized:
It isn’t “hording” until there is actually an emergency. If you buy or stockpile something before the emergency, you are taking the financial risk away from the company producing the item, and on to your self as the individual. And you are dong your part to encourage the manufacturer to increase production.
If my state or county has a plan to buy enough Tamiflu (or whatever) to be sure to cover the needs of the ENTIRE POPULATION, and currently is trying to lay in supplies, then I’ll stand back and let them have what supplies there are. IF they have a plan. Which they do NOT! Many states purposely did NOT put in an order for Tamilfu when given the opportuntily because they didn’t want to spend their money in that way. So be it.
The only way a physician could say buying Tamiflu was hoarding would be if she or he had certain knowledge that a pandemic was just about to begin.
Dear Colleague letter -sounds good -
would go well with the HHS Sec Leavitt “tragically wrong” quote when handed out. (And, the current cases/ages/CFR since too many seem to be avoiding finding out what those are…)
Don’t change doctors yet.
I am working on a suite of resources designed to help people that are interested in obtaining a stockpile of both regular drugs they use everyday for important medical disorders as well as a select few drugs that would be reserved for use during the pandemic.
This project is in the works and may be ready sometime next week. When it is, I start a new thread with an appropriate title. Most of the documents will be in PDF format on the www.BirdFluManual.com website where you can download them, print them out and give them to your doctor.
Grattan Woodson, MD
Dr.Woodson, My doctor is in MN and when I asked what medications I needed to have if there was a pandemic, s/he agreed to give me scripts for antibiotics, cough medicine, Organidin and others…but said that s/he could not give me a script for Tamiflu because they had been ordered not to give it out, unless they could document the patient’s current symptoms. S/he would have had to falsify my medical records in order to give it to me.
I wonder if this is something specific to MN or are other states monitoring Tamiflu scripts and putting this kind of pressure on doctors.
please belive that there is no GRAND scheme to keep you from getting medicine. They will not give you any anti-virals without just cause. but they really don’t want to keep you from stocking up on your regular stuff. Believe me I’m with you. If insurance won’t pay for it….wait a few days. Still stockpile,,,and we will all come out further ahead,
Dr. Woodson, if you’re out there…
There is a lot of info out there (oral rehydration solutions threads..) about using “no salt/low salt” alternatives in order to incorporate some potassium into the ORS. What are your thoughts on that? If yes, what ammount?
Thanks.
CrystalSky – at 23:55
Dr.Woodson, My doctor is in MN and when I asked what medications I needed to have if there was a pandemic, s/he agreed to give me scripts for antibiotics, cough medicine, Organidin and others…but said that s/he could not give me a script for Tamiflu because they had been ordered not to give it out, unless they could document the patient’s current symptoms. S/he would have had to falsify my medical records in order to give it to me.
I wonder if this is something specific to MN or are other states monitoring Tamiflu scripts and putting this kind of pressure on doctors.
Nope, not unique.
California has the same restriction.
I’ve seen the state health department memo to physicians.
NO tamiflu unless symptomatic, and then only for high risk cases.
I have a Rx. for 2 boxes per month with 12 refills from my oncologist. My problem is I will have to pay out of pocket (90.00) for more than one box per month. In our immediate family the are three families with small children. It would be a hardship but I could buy them.
What would you do?
Hi Anon at 13:03!
Could the families, chip in? Obviously if you are seeing an oncologist, you are dealing with health issues now. This should take precedence, over something that may not happen and for other families. It may be a hardship for these parents, but that is part of being a parent. Of course, then there ae those that wouldn’t buy the meds. no matter what. If these are your grown children and grandchildren, maybe you could ask them to buy it for your Christmas gift and save it for their own families. The peace of mind would probably be the best Christmas gift you could receive! Good luck! I hope you are well!