DHBs slow to stockpile Tamiflu

District Health Boards (DHBs) have been slow to stockpile extra supplies of Tamiflu, despite a call from the Health Ministry do so.

Just four DHBs -- in Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Hutt Valley and Taranaki -- have extra supplies of the anti-bird flu drug in preparation for a outbreak, while four more have supplies under order, the Dominion Post reported today.

The Government has a $26 million stockpile of the antiviral drug -- enough to treat 21 per cent of the population -- but the Health Ministry had called for DHBs to consider building their own supplies.

The newspaper said the situation reinforces Parliament's health select committee concerns over disparities in preparedness.

"We are concerned that people living in areas serviced by less-prepared DHBs will fare worse," a pandemic report by the committee said.

The range of responses from the 17 DHBs that had replied to The Dominion Post supports the committee's criticism that the ministry's guidance on Tamiflu was unclear, the newspaper said.

Just four had ordered and received stocks and four had ordered, but not yet received supplies.

Five DHBs had still not decided whether to get in extra supplies and four had no plans to buy the drug, opting to rely on the Government's stockpile.

- NZPA