Category: Dr Holden

Swine flu could become resistant to Tamiflu because of over-prescribing

July 28, 2009 by srrpenna

Dr Holden, the British Medical Association's lead authority on pandemic flu, said he thought the thresholds for issuing Tamiflu had been set too low, a policy which he fears will come back to haunt the Department of Health if the H1N1 swine flu virus becomes resistant to Tamiflu.

The GP, based in Matlock, Derbyshire, helped draft the clinical algorithm used by operators on the National Pandemic Flu Service telephone line, but said doctors are being encouraged to dish out a "pill for every ill".