AAH, Alliance Healthcare ‘working hard to obtain antiviral stock’

AAH Pharmaceuticals and Alliance Healthcare have stated that they are putting considerable efforts towards meeting demand for supplies of antiviral products during the current influenza season.

The pharmaceutical wholesalers have observed a significant rise in uptake of Relenza and Tamiflu in recent weeks due to an unexpected increase in flu symptoms.

Due to the fact that health departments have been permitted to prescribe antivirals to anyone displaying these symptoms, several thousand patients are now looking to obtain the products on a daily basis.

The suppliers stated that they are "doing their utmost" to deliver new shipments of the drugs to consumers and are conferring with authorities and manufacturers to aid this process.

They added: "Customers are being urged only to order sufficient quantities to meet actual patient demand – excess ordering could create shortages for other customers who have patients with prescriptions which need to be fulfilled."

Earlier this year, AAH noted that its flu vaccination service has seen "significant" growth in 2010 for the second consecutive year.