Policy on Antiviral Medication Prescription

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=230 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="173e6962egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="176b4e60.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Policy on Antiviral Medication Prescription</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disclaimer"><U><B>DISCLAIMER</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Notice of Privacy Practices"><U><B>Notice of Privacy Practices</B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Richard W Pomerantz, MD, PA</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial Narrow" >Board Certified in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine</FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >     |    </FONT><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Richard W Pomerantz, MD, PA"><U> home</U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >back to</FONT>  <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Avian Flu"><U><B>Avian Flu</B></U></A></div> <div> Policy on Antiviral Medication Prescription</div> <div> Richard W. Pomerantz, MD, PA has a policy regarding the prescription of antiviral medication.  Patients with signs and symptoms of Influenza or patients with a laboratory proven case of Influenza may be candidates for antiviral therapy, if the symptoms are of recent onset.  Additionally, in certain circumstances, patients that are close contacts of the people described above may potentially benefit from antiviral medications.  The decision to use these medications will be made on an individual basis in discussion with Dr. Pomerantz. </div> <bR> <div> In response to numerous phone calls regarding these medications, please keep the following in mind:</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">There is currently no FDA approval for these medications for the Avian Flu.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The dosing and length of treatment for these medications for the Avian Flu are unknown, thus taking the standard regimine may be ineffective and increase drug resistance.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">These medications are generally regarded as being safe, but like all medications, using them without a clear reason exposes people to the potential side effects.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Certain people with serious medical conditions cannot take the Flu Vaccine and rely on availability of Antiviral medications to treat symptoms or exposure to Influenza.  Inappropriate prescriptions of these medications denies people access to this important therapy.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have a strategic stockpile of these medications if and when human outbreaks of Avian Flu threaten the population.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Because of these reasons, no prescriptions of Antiviral medications will be provided for patients to have a supply available "just in case" of an Avian Flu outbreak.    </B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>