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Retired

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If you are prescribed Tamiflu, double check that your pharmacist has indicated the correct instructions, because this medication has the potential for having its dosing regimen misunderstood.

Use the link to the FDA alert for complete details along with dosing for children.

FDA issued a Public Health Alert to notify prescribers and pharmacists about potential dosing errors with Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for Oral Suspension. U.S. health care providers usually write prescriptions for liquid medicines in milliliters (mL) or teaspoons, while Tamiflu is dosed in milligrams (mg). The dosing dispenser packaged with Tamiflu has markings only in 30, 45 and 60 mg.

The Agency has received reports of errors where dosing instructions for the patient do not match the dosing dispenser. Health care providers should write doses in mg if the dosing dispenser with the drug is in mg. Pharmacists should ensure that the units of measure on the prescription instructions match the dosing device provided with the drug.
 

David Baxter PhD

Late Founder
Warning issued over Tamiflu dosage information
Friday, September 25, 2009
CBC News

Health Canada said Friday it is aware of a warning sounded over potentially confusing dosage directions on the liquid form of the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the warning today after physicians pointed out the problem earlier this week in a letter published in the online version of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The FDA said confusion arose because there have been cases where the label instructions for liquid Tamiflu gave dosage information in millilitres or teaspoons, while the measuring device provided with the prescription was in milligrams.

Health Canada said that if a physician's instructions specify dosages in in millilitres or teaspoons, then the measuring device included in the Tamiflu package should be replaced, if possible, with one calibrated in millilitres or teaspoons.

A pharmacist may also be able to convert the instructions back into milligrams.

Health Canada said that as of Sept. 18, there had been no reports in this country suggesting dosing error associated with the use of liquid Tamiflu.
 
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