Popular anti-viral drug Tamiflu now sells at P150.50 per capsule. – APMANILA, Philippines – Prices of flu drugs and vaccine have surged up to three times their normal prices, aggravating the Philippines’ Influenza A(H1N1) crisis as demand from health-conscious buyers is making the product scarce and increasingly expensive.

The Philippines, which is lagging behind other countries in the race for securing ample supplies of anti-swine flu vaccine, has listed 604 confirmed cases and one A(H1N1)-related fatality so far. It is now under pressure to take decisive steps in reducing mortality related to the novel virus.

Tamiflu – a popular brand of the anti-viral drug oseltamivir used to treat symptoms of the A(H1N1) virus – now sells at P150.50 per capsule at a popular drugstore.

The Department of Health (DOH) was able to purchase its first batch of 750,000 capsules of Tamiflu at P40 each before the A(H1N1) virus started spreading across the globe, said Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the DOH National Center for Disease Protection and Control. The flu vaccines in the market only protect people from the regular seasonal flu viruses – Dr. Remegio Olveda, director of the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine

Full Story: GMANews/Yahoo PH