Oseltamivir Prescribing in Pharmacy-Benefits Database, United States, 2004–2005

Abstract

We reviewed information from a US pharmacy benefits manager database from 2004 through 2005 during periods with little influenza activity. We calculated rates of oseltamivir prescriptions to enrollees. Prescription rates increased significantly from 27.3/100,000 in 2004 to 134/100,000 in 2005 (p<0.05), which suggested that personal stockpiling of oseltamivir occurred.

Keywords

• Human influenza
• influenza A virus
• avian influenza
• influenza A drug therapy
• influenza A virus subtype H5N1
• dispatch