EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Nov. 7)

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Hoarding Tamiflu

Twenty-three multinational companies, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies were
caught illegally distributing Tamiflu, an antiviral medication that is used to
treat the H1N1 virus.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration's investigation into 3,853 hospitals,
clinics and pharmacies that handled large volumes of Tamiflu between May and
October found that enough Tamiflu to treat 7,287 people had been illegally
distributed. More than 80 percent of the illegally distributed Tamiflu had gone
to HSBC Korea and Novartis Korea.
Hoarding and illegal distribution of Tamiflu had been expected, especially
because of a shortage of one of the few medications that can treat the H1N1 flu.
However, the fact that large multinational companies were at the forefront of
such illicit activity comes as a shock. HSBC said that it had obtained Tamiflu
for its employees. No one can chide a company for being concerned about the
welfare of its employees. But laws should not be broken for the sake of
guaranteeing its employees' welfare, especially when such acts threaten the
welfare of the greater public.
What is even more deplorable is that Roche Korea, part of the Roche group, which
manufactures Tamiflu, offered tips on how to obtain Tamiflu illicitly to some 10
multinational corporations. The company allegedly illegally distributed 27,000
capsules of Tamiflu. It did so by obtaining fake prescriptions from its client
medical institutions.
It is unconscionable that while the government was grappling with how best to
administer the limited supply of Tamiflu and maintain strict guidelines for
prescribing the medication, companies were holding caches of Tamiflu.
It is only within the last few weeks that the health authorities have given
doctors the green light to prescribe Tamiflu without testing for the H1N1 virus.
The government has also distributed Tamiflu to all pharmacies nationwide. These
measures were taken to eliminate any unnecessary delay in the treatment of H1N1
flu patients and to relieve the patient overload at the large hospitals that were
initially designated to treat H1N1 patients.
These measures, however, also make it easy for people who are not sick to get
Tamiflu. At the moment, the government in effect rations Tamiflu because of the
scarcity of the antiviral medication. Some people, although not sick now, may try
to get Tamiflu before the supply is depleted as a precautionary measure. Worse
yet, unscrupulous individuals might attempt to stockpile Tamiflu for
profiteering.
With the spread of the H1N1 flu expected to peak in the next four weeks,
maintaining an adequate stock of Tamiflu is essential. The government must work
to obtain a sufficient inventory of Tamiflu and at the same time conduct
campaigns against illegally amassing Tamiflu.
The authorities should deal strictly with those companies that were caught
distributing the medication illegally as well as those who obtained them
illicitly. The law calls for criminal prosecution of those who obtain medication
with forged prescriptions. The companies that were caught should be punished to
the fullest extent of the law to prevent the possible recurrence of such
incidents.
(END)