Tamiflu Oseltamivir 30mg / 45mg / 75mg Capsules & 6mg/ml Oral Suspension - Treatment Course

Tamiflu contains oseltamivir, an antiviral medicine used for influenza A and B. It is a prescription-only medicine. Ways Pharmacy supplies it only after a clinical consultation and approval; selecting a product does not confirm suitability.

Available formulations

30mg, 45mg and 75mg capsules, and powder for oral suspension which contains 6mg/ml after preparation. The pharmacist confirms the appropriate strength, formulation and quantity for the full course.

Who can use this PGD service?

• Treatment: age 1 year or older and weight at least 10kg, typical flu symptoms while influenza is circulating, a positive reliable influenza diagnostic test, and requesting treatment within 48 hours of symptom onset.
• Post-exposure prevention: age 1 year or older and weight at least 10kg, assessed within 48 hours of contact with a clinically diagnosed influenza case while influenza is circulating. The PGD also requires that the patient is not effectively immunised and is in a clinical risk group or at risk of complications.
• Community-outbreak prevention: a separate clinical assessment is required. The PGD restricts this indication to age 13 years or older and its dosing table specifies weight over 40kg; treatment may continue for up to 6 weeks. This is not the standard 5-day treatment course.

The PGD excludes children under 1 year, anyone weighing under 10kg, renal impairment, immunosuppression, severe illness with imminent risk of hospitalisation, specified psychiatric conditions, relevant medicine interactions and concomitant live nasal flu vaccine use. Tell the pharmacist about all medical conditions, medicines, allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding and recent nasal flu vaccination. Patients outside the PGD criteria need referral or a separate prescribing assessment; exclusion from this service does not mean oseltamivir can never be prescribed.

Dose by body weight

The table below follows the PGD weight bands for eligible patients aged 1 year and over. All amounts are per dose. The liquid volumes apply only to prepared 6mg/ml suspension. Follow your dispensing label; do not choose or change a dose yourself.

Boundary examples: exactly 15kg falls in the 30mg band, exactly 23kg in the 45mg band, and exactly 40kg in the 60mg band under this PGD table. Age and weight are both assessed, particularly for adolescents and adults with low body weight.

How to take Tamiflu

• Start as soon as possible after clinical approval: within 48 hours of symptom onset for treatment, or within 48 hours of exposure for post-exposure prevention.
• For twice-daily treatment, take the approved dose in the morning and evening. For prevention, take the approved dose once daily.
• Take with or without food; food can help reduce nausea and vomiting.
• Swallow capsules whole with water; do not chew. A 60mg capsule dose requires two 30mg capsules per administration if this formulation is approved. Do not estimate partial capsule contents. Ask the pharmacist for help if swallowing is difficult.
• Complete the full course. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Contact the pharmacy if you are unsure what to do after a missed dose or vomiting.

Using the 6mg/ml oral suspension

Preparation by a healthcare professional before dispensing is recommended. For the branded Tamiflu 13g powder bottle, preparation uses exactly 55ml water, added once, followed by shaking for 15 seconds. If the pharmacy has already prepared it, do not add water again. Follow the leaflet for your actual pack.

Shake before every dose and measure with the supplied oral dispenser, never a kitchen spoon. For 12.5ml, measure 5ml plus 7.5ml. Give slowly into the mouth along the inside of the cheek with the patient upright. Rinse the dispenser after use.

Does one bottle cover the course?

Both a standard 5-day treatment course and a 10-day post-exposure prevention course involve 10 doses. Total prepared suspension required is:

• 30mg per dose: 50ml per course.
• 45mg per dose: 75ml per course.
• 60mg per dose: 100ml per course.
• 75mg per dose: 125ml per course.

One bottle may not cover the course. The 55ml water added during preparation is not the final usable volume. The pharmacist checks the bottle presentation and supplies sufficient medicine. A 60mg capsule course requires 20 x 30mg capsules; a pack of 10 x 30mg capsules is insufficient for that dose.

Side effects and when to seek help

Nausea, vomiting, headache and stomach discomfort can occur. Contact your clinician if vomiting is repeated, fever persists or symptoms worsen. Seek urgent medical help for confusion, hallucinations, unusual behaviour or seizures, especially in children and adolescents. Call 999 for breathing difficulty, collapse or a severe allergic reaction.

Storage and further information

Keep out of children's sight and reach. Capsules: store below 25°C. Unprepared branded suspension powder: below 30°C. Once prepared, the current UK patient leaflet specifies below 25°C for up to 10 days; follow the dispensing label and discard date.

Tamiflu does not replace flu vaccination. Read the supplied leaflet and use only for the patient assessed. Further information: capsule patient leaflet, oral suspension patient leaflet and MHRA Yellow Card.