Sainsbury's says no to Tamiflu in bid to keep people with virus out of its stores

Published on Friday 24 July 2009 22:02

SAINSBURY'S is to opt out of distributing Tamiflu, because of fears it might encourage people with the virus into its supermarkets.

While some the company's in-store pharmacies are supplying the drug as an "interim measure", there are no plans for the chain to become an official collection point.

Tesco and Asda have signed up some of their pharmacies as collection points for people needing Tamiflu.

But a Sainsbury's spokesman said: "Whilst some Sainsbury's pharmacies are supplying Tamiflu under interim measures, it has never been agreed that those pharmacies will operate as a designated anti-viral collection point for primary care trusts.

"This is a long-standing policy instigated well before the current flu outbreak to ensure our pharmacists can carry out their day-to-day duties.

"A supermarket, with thousands of daily visitors, is not a suitable collection point, as it would lead to increased risk to shoppers and colleagues.

"This policy is in accordance with the government's advice for those with flu to avoid public places."

The supermarket told the Health Service Journal (HSJ) that one or two of its pharmacies may have been approached by primary care trusts asking if they could become collection points.

Asked why Sainsbury's head office would not allow individual pharmacies to act in this way, a spokesman told the HSJ: "It would draw a lot of potentially unwell people into our stores. This is the sensible and prudent thing to do."

A spokeswoman for the health service union Unison said the attitude of the company was in "stark contrast" to that of NHS staff.

Meanwhile, the online auction website eBay said it would not permit the re-sale of Tamiflu. A spokeswoman said: "EBay.co.uk does not permit the listing of any prescription-only medicine."