No shortage of duovir, says hospital director

Malay Mail: Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) has sufficient supplies of duovir, the drug used in the treatment of HIV patients.
KLH director Dr Azmi Shafie yesterday said the drug is available at the hospital’s pharmacy.
He was responding to claims by a social worker that the hospital had run out of duovir.
“This is not true. It is available and being dispensed as prescribed by doctors to the patients,” he said, adding that the drug was pre-packed and dispensed in its original form from the manufacturer.
He said the question of cutbacks also did not arise as the doctors would prescribe the medication accordingly to ensure its effectiveness.
A social worker, who declined to be identified, had claimed that KLH was running low on duovir.
He claimed that several HIV patients had informed him on this.
The social worker claimed HIV carriers were usually given a container of 60 pills monthly.
They are be taken twice daily.
However, he claimed that due to a shortfall in supply, some patients were only supplied for two weeks.
There were also others, he claimed who were only given a 10-day supply.
He claimed that as a result of this, the carriers were helping each other out by sharing their medication.