This service is for people who for any reason need to have a flu treatment in reserve at home or for travel when it is not available to them on the NHS. People who already have symptoms of flu should go to the gouvernment flu website. Tamiflu is used to treat flu infection Tamiflu can also be taken to prevent flu developing after exposure to flu infection. Tamiflu (oseltamvir) treatment: Reduces symptoms of flu Reduces the length of symptoms Reduces the incidence of serious complication such as pneumonia Taking Tamiflu after exposure to flu infection reduces the rick of catching flu but does not guarantee against catching flu. Post exposure Tamiflu is best started withing 48hours of exposure. A flu patient is infectious from the start of their symptoms and for about a week after the start of sumptoms. Directions Always take tamifly exactly as your doctor has told you. You should check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Take Tamiflu as soon as you get the prescription as this will help to slow the spread of the influenza virus in the body. Swallow Tamiflu capsules whole with water. Do not break or chew Tamiflu capsules. The usual dose is as follows: Adults and children above the age of 13: For treatment of influenza take one capsule as soon as you get the prescription and then take one capsule twice a day (usually it is convenient to take one in the morning and one in the evening for five days). It is important to complete the whole 5 day course, even if you start to feel better quickly. 30mg and 47mg capsules can be used by adults and adolescents as an alternative to 75mg capsules. Children aged 1 - 12 years older: Tamiflu oral suspension or 30mg and 45mg capsules can be used instead Children weighing more than 40kg and can swallow capsules may take Tamiflu 75mg capsules twice daily for 5 days. Warnings Do not take Tamiflu if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to oseltamivir or any of the other ingredients Please consult your doctor before taking Tamiflu if: You are allergic to other medicines You have problems with your kidneys You are taking any other medications You are pregnant or breast feeding. Tamiflu is not a substitute for the influenza vaccination!. It is recoomented to take Tamiflu with food to reduce the change of feeling or being sick. Ingredients The active ingredient in Tamiflu is oseltamivir phosphate (75mg oseltamivir in each hard capsule). The other ingredients are: capsule contents: pregelatinised starch, talc, povidone, croscarmellose sodium and sodium stearyl fumarate capsule shell: gelatin, yellow iron oxide (E172), red iron oxide (E172), black iron oxide(E172) and titanium dioxide (E171) and indigocarmine (E132).