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news.For pediatric and adult patients who have difficulty in swallowing capsules
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Wedgewood Pharmacy is compounding oseltamivir phosphate in a cherry-flavored suspension in response to the nationwide shortage of Tamiflu suspension. The commercially manufactured Tamiflu product, from F Hoffmann-La Roche, is offered in a 12mg/ml suspension (oseltamivir base) in a 25ml bottle.
Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) is an FDA-approved antiviral drug for treatment of uncomplicated influenza A and B in patients one year of age or older. It is also approved for influenza prevention in people 13 years or older who had household contact or are at high-risk during the influenza season.
Wedgewood will fill prescriptions for oseltamivir 12mg/ml 25ml in a sugar-free cherry-flavored suspension. The suspension form of the drug is made for pediatric and adult patients who have difficulty swallowing capsules.
The company said that compounding directions, however, result in a 15mg/ml oseltamivir-base concentration and not the 12mg/ml suspension that is available commercially. Compounded oseltamivir suspension requires a prescription from a licensed prescriber.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has issued an ‘important error prevention advisory’ warning that ‘unless prescribers specify the patient’s dose in mg, a dosing error is possible.’ The advisory refers to incidents that ‘resulted in providing too large of a dose being dispensed to children’ and that ‘it is also possible for a lower than intended amount to be administered if prescribers base the dose on the 15mg/ml concentration.’
ISMP has advised prescribers to communicate suspension in doses (mg) rather than by volume.
Beth DeSouza, human-health product manager of Wedgewood Pharmacy, said: “This is an important safety issue. Giving children the wrong dose of this medicine can be harmful. Parents should always be aware of the medication and dose being prescribed for their children. In this case, we advise asking the pharmacist filling a prescription for this preparation to verify the intended dosage with the prescriber.”