UK relaxes rules around flu medication
Patients will get the flu medicines they need more quickly and at any time of the year, as the government has announced changes to prescribing regulations.
As part of its commitment to reduce winter pressures and protect the NHS, the government said it is removing the restriction that means certain flu medications cannot begin to be prescribed outside the usual ‘flu season’ until an annual letter of confirmation from the Chief Medical Officer is received, which can lead to delays in treatment.
These rules are being removed so action can be taken to tackle flu all year round. This will allow patients to receive treatment sooner and ease winter pressures by allowing outbreaks to be contained.
Until now, GPs and pharmacies had to be commissioned via a patient-specific direction to prescribe certain medicines, which led to delays. It also meant clinicians could prescribe some medicines and not others.
The reasons for the restrictions no longer apply and removing them means clinicians can provide the right treatment at the right time to patients.
Specifically, this change will allow oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) to be prescribed and dispensed outside the flu season. These antivirals are recommended for treatment of those atthe highest risk of severe disease outside of the flu season, following a confirmatory test for flu. They are also recommended to prevent disease in specific settings such as care homes, where confirmed cases of flu have occurred.
“Flu can strike all year round, so it doesn’t make sense to restrict doctors and pharmacists from taking action to protect the most vulnerable in their communities,” said Health Minister Stephen Kinnock.
“That’s why, as well as starting the flu vaccination programme today, we are also removing the need for clinicians to have to ask for permission to prescribe what their patients need.”
