Bird flu might have disappeared from the news recently but the likelihood of a human pandemic has not receded along with media interest in the story. Unless there is something new to hang a story on, there seems no point in reporting on the matter. When a dead swan was found in Scotland earlier this year the whole of the world's media seemed to go crazy but interest soon faded, even after the confirmation that the dead bird was indeed infected with the H5N1 strain of the influenza virus, as this seemed to be an isolated incident with a single migratory bird that had strayed off course.

The Global Health Research Forum believes that the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus could be with us for another decade and the possibility of this virus mutating into one which can be transferred between humans is still highly likely. So far 256 humans have been infected with the virus since 2003 but these have all been people who have come into close contact with infected poultry or wild fowl.

It is estimated that around 750,000 people in the UK could die in a pandemic. The Government has arranged to stockpile around 14 million courses of the anti-viral drug which is effective in preventing the spread of influenza or reducing the symptoms once contracted. The Government is also in talks about acquiring a vaccine.

Given that the Government has only made provisions for around 25% of the UK population, many people are looking to for themselves and their families as a precaution. Although GPs can write a private prescription for their patients, many seem to be unsympathetic to their patients? concerns and have refused to write the prescriptions. As a result, many people have turned to the internet to seek advice and to purchase medication.

Anyone seeking to purchase Tamiflu online should be careful to purchase from a regulated or pharmacy. Whilst there are many charlatans supplying counterfeit medication over the internet, there are a few legitimate suppliers in the UK which employ doctors and dispense from regulated pharmacies. Any person looking to purchase Tamiflu online should check out the credentials of the supplier and ask for the registration details of the pharmacy that will dispense the medication so this can be checked with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.