Table 1.
Influenza antiviral dispensings by medication and purpose, Vaccine Safety Datalink Project, January 1, 2000 through June 30, 2010
| Treatment n (%) | Telephone‐Stockpile n (%) | Prophylaxis n (%) | Other n (%)* | Total n | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oseltamivir | 49 470 (59·4) | 16 981 (20·4) | 6776 (8·1) | 10 012 (12·0) | 83 239 |
| Zanamivir | 908 (54·1) | 397 (23·7) | 181 (10·8) | 191 (11·4) | 1677 |
| Rimantadine | 1168 (27·2) | 908 (21·2) | 1839 (42·9)** | 373 (8·7) | 4288 |
| Amantadine | 15 152 (16·4) | 5205 (5·6) | 5370 (5·8) | 66 746 (72·2) | 92 473 |
| Total | 66 698 | 23 491 | 14 166 | 77 322 | 181 677 |
*Analyses of the “other” amantadine dispensings suggested that they were for non‐influenza purposes, with 52% given to patients with Parkinson’s disease 26 (ICD‐9‐CM 332), 27% to patients with multiple sclerosis 27 (340), 2% to patients with attention deficit disorder 28 (314·0), and 0·5% to patients with Huntington’s chorea 29 (333·4). Review of characteristics of “other” dispensings for oseltamivir, zanamivir, and rimantadine did not suggest a predominant pattern or clinical indication.
**This high percentage of rimantadine dispensings for prophylaxis was mainly due to one medical care organization that recommended rimantadine prophylaxis during the 2004–2005 influenza season, a period with intense influenza circulation as well as an influenza vaccine shortage.