SDI: Antiviral prescriptions on the rise

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. According to SDI’s Vector One: National, antiviral prescriptions rose dramatically last week to more than 648,000, an increase of more than 73% in the past two weeks, Surveillance Data reported Wednesday.

Antiviral prescriptions have climbed each week since the week ending Aug. 21, but the increases in the past two weeks have been significant. More than 640,000 prescriptions were filled for Tamiflu in the week ending Oct. 23, up more than 28% from just over 502,000 the week before.

At 648,000, the volume of antiviral prescriptions last week was higher than at any point last season, and approximately 40% higher than the most active antiviral prescription week during the spring pandemic wave: 271,169 in the week ended May 1.

“While there is always variability in flu activity each year, including antiviral prescription trends, this year we are well above prescription volumes we’ve seen in years past and significantly higher than any October on record,” stated Laurel Edelman, SDI’s VP clinical accounts. “This trend is also being seen in our weekly local tracking and consolidation of electronic healthcare claims, where we’ve seen submissions, representing physician office visits for influenza, increase an average 30% each week since the beginning of September.”