Caution on Tamiflu dosing
With flu season in full swing doctors are prescribing Tamiflu for both prophylactic and reduction of flu symptoms. 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. Because the dosing can be easily confused, please make sure to look at the labeling to verify that you are working in milligrams and not in milliliters. So far there has not been any reported errors of dosing, but it is always good to verify before administering any drug. (Source: Drugs.com)
This is a good idea for any drug that is dispensed by a doctor or nurse. In the heat of trying to do too much, it is very easy to forget what you are measuring and create a potential problem. Take the time to verify that you are measuring out the correct amount and the correct measurement. This is something we need to watch for during this long flu season that came up on us quickly and looks like it will be here awhile. This is a good time for patients to ask questions about the medications that they are on to make sure they understand what they are taking. There were issues last year that children’s cough medicine was measured differently then adult medicine and parents were over dosing their children by mistake. This is an easy fix that could keep the patient out of the hospital.
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