Holmfirth dad’s anger at swine flu drugs hold-up

Jul 17 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE father of a baby with swine flu has voiced concern after a pharmacy ran out of equipment to administer drugs.

Chris Monro, of Victoria Springs, Holmfirth, was told by the pharmacy at Asda in Fixby he would have to wait for the next delivery of syringes used to administer the Tamiflu treatment.

Mr Monro’s 11-month-old son Gregor was diagnosed with swine flu on Wednesday.

The national death toll for the virus stood at 29 last night.

Mr Monro was given a Tamiflu prescription for Gregor’s twin brother Henry and their sister Milly, three, as well.

As advised, he asked a neighbour to make the trip to pick it up. But his friend left after being told by the supermarket there was a 90-minute wait.

When Mr Monro, 40, took his children to Asda yesterday he claims he was told there would be a two-hour wait for syringes – used to give the drugs to babies – to be delivered.

He said: “I went ballistic. I swore at the pharmacist, which I later apologised for. I just think it’s very badly organised.

“I don’t know what the current numbers of people with the virus are, but it’s a relatively small number. But when it escalates, there’s going to be a lot of people needing Tamiflu and pharmacists aren’t going to be able to cope.”