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Local officials say further scrutiny of Tamiflu needed

The Bureau of Pharmaceutical Affairs said yesterday that further evaluation is needed before a decision can be made whether to follow Japan's lead in adding a warning label to Tamiflu packaging.

The bureau reminded doctors to exercise care when prescribing the treatment for adolescent patients, defined as individuals above the age of 10 and below the age of 20.

Medical professionals should pay special attention if their adolescent patients appear to exhibit any unusual behavior patterns after taking the medicine, according to the bureau press release.

Shih Wen-yi (施文儀), deputy director of the Center for Disease Control, said yesterday that Taiwan has not logged any cases of unusual behavior attributable to Tamiflu, even though the drug has been approved for use in Taiwan since 1992.

The product is used less frequently in Taiwan than in Japan, with only 13,800 doses administered since its approval, 1,400 of which were given to adolescent patients between the ages of 13 and 18, he said.
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