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Pharmacist prescribing of Tamiflu and Relenza in Norway
On Tuesday the 3rd of November, the Norwegian ministry of health (HOD) decided making the Influenza A (H1N1) medicines Tamiflu and Relenza more easily available to the public. At this time there was a severe increase in Influenza A infections. The physicians reported heavy workload, having many flu patients visiting their offices and at this time the mass vaccination with Pandemrix had just started.
27.11.2009
According to the situation HOD decided to give pharmacists the right to prescribe Tamiflu and Relenza on certain conditions. On Thursday the 5th of November at 00:01 o’clock the first Tamiflu package was prescribed by a pharmacist.
The pharmacist prescribing is practiced according to guidelines given by The Norwegian Directorate of Health.
Pharmacists can prescribe Tamiflu:
• For treatment of patients who have Influenza A (H1N1) symptoms and being infected within the last 48 hours.
• For preventive use by patients who belong to certain risk-groups, and are in close contact with patients with Influenza A (H1N1).
Pharmacists can prescribe Relenza:
• For preventive use by pregnant women who are in close contact with patients with Influenza A (H1N1).
To get Tamiflu or Relenza directly from a pharmacist the patient has to answer certain questions by filling and signing a form. According to the patient’s self-declaration the pharmacist decides whether the criteria for getting antiviral medicines are fulfilled or not. If the patient fills the criteria, the pharmacist decides if the patient should have Tamiflu or Relenza and also decides the dosing. The pharmacist’s decisions are written on the form which is then signed by the pharmacist.
Patients that do not fill the criteria are referred to their physician.
If the patient is too ill to visit the pharmacy himself/herself, a family member or a friend can answer the questions and fill the form on behalf of the patient. In rural areas the patient can call the pharmacist who will fill out the form according to the patient’s answers to the listed questions. The pharmacist will then see to that the medicine is brought to the patient.
The form is kept in the pharmacy as documentation, being seen as both the legal prescription and the patient’s journal.
The pharmacist gets a fee, 20 NOK, (2,5 Euro) for each pharmacist’s prescription, in addition to the regular pharmacy margin / dispensing fee. The government pays nearly 80 percent of the Tamiflu / Relenza package; the patient co-payment is 50 NOK (6 Euro) for the medicine and 20 NOK (2.5 Euro) for the pharmacist prescription.
From November 5th until November 26th, nearly 200,000 packages of Tamiflu and Relenza were prescribed by pharmacists (population in Norway: 4.9 million).
The regulations on pharmacists prescribing rights for Tamiflu and Relenza will last until the 1st of July 2010.
The pharmacist prescribing is practiced according to guidelines given by The Norwegian Directorate of Health.
Pharmacists can prescribe Tamiflu:
• For treatment of patients who have Influenza A (H1N1) symptoms and being infected within the last 48 hours.
• For preventive use by patients who belong to certain risk-groups, and are in close contact with patients with Influenza A (H1N1).
Pharmacists can prescribe Relenza:
• For preventive use by pregnant women who are in close contact with patients with Influenza A (H1N1).
To get Tamiflu or Relenza directly from a pharmacist the patient has to answer certain questions by filling and signing a form. According to the patient’s self-declaration the pharmacist decides whether the criteria for getting antiviral medicines are fulfilled or not. If the patient fills the criteria, the pharmacist decides if the patient should have Tamiflu or Relenza and also decides the dosing. The pharmacist’s decisions are written on the form which is then signed by the pharmacist.
Patients that do not fill the criteria are referred to their physician.
If the patient is too ill to visit the pharmacy himself/herself, a family member or a friend can answer the questions and fill the form on behalf of the patient. In rural areas the patient can call the pharmacist who will fill out the form according to the patient’s answers to the listed questions. The pharmacist will then see to that the medicine is brought to the patient.
The form is kept in the pharmacy as documentation, being seen as both the legal prescription and the patient’s journal.
The pharmacist gets a fee, 20 NOK, (2,5 Euro) for each pharmacist’s prescription, in addition to the regular pharmacy margin / dispensing fee. The government pays nearly 80 percent of the Tamiflu / Relenza package; the patient co-payment is 50 NOK (6 Euro) for the medicine and 20 NOK (2.5 Euro) for the pharmacist prescription.
From November 5th until November 26th, nearly 200,000 packages of Tamiflu and Relenza were prescribed by pharmacists (population in Norway: 4.9 million).
The regulations on pharmacists prescribing rights for Tamiflu and Relenza will last until the 1st of July 2010.