Roche Canada today announced the introduction of the Roche Antiviral Purchase Program, a flexible program enabling Canadian businesses to have access to their own stockpile of antiviral medication, under the direction and control of their organization's physician, to help prevent the spread of influenza. The program requires limited upfront investment and more adaptability to deal with unknown factors inherent in emergency situations.

"The Roche Antiviral Purchase Program addresses many of the needs of Canadian corporations, who are interested in securing antiviral medication for their employees and their businesses, but desire more flexible planning options," says Dan Miller, director of the Urgent Care business unit at Roche Canada and chair of the Roche Canada emergency management task force. "Stockpiling antivirals for use in emergency situations and to help prevent the spread of influenza, with the goal of minimizing absenteeism, can help protect employees, maintain business continuity, reduce financial losses, help mitigate the impact on the local and national economy, and help position the workforce and economy for better resiliency."

The Roche Antiviral Purchase Program for Canadian corporations reduces the financial risk for the organization interested in antiviral stockpiling, provides a viable option for managing some of the logistical challenges around antiviral stockpiling, and ensures that companies, through their physicians, have access to an 'evergreen' stockpile of antiviral medications for use during emergency situations.

Given an inter-connected world with global supply chains, a robust emergency preparedness plan could help reduce employee absenteeism due to the spread of influenza. The influenza virus is infectious from the day before a person develops symptoms to up to seven days afterwards, meaning a rapid and unknown spread among the population(1). Experts have suggested that aggressive measures, centered on the preventative use of antiviral medication, might contain influenza at its source or at least slow its spread, thus gaining time to put emergency measures in place and develop vaccine supplies(2).

According to a 2008 report released by the Schulich School of Business, antiviral medications are a key measure to keep employees safe during an influenza emergency. Since employees are a company's revenue drivers, prolonged absenteeism due to influenza illness could have a significant adverse impact on a corporation's revenues and profits. The study also points out that while masks, gowns and other preventative measures, including vaccination, all play a role, stockpiling antiviral drugs to prevent infection among employees must be part of a corporate preparedness plan.

When it comes to corporate risk management, the Canadian Roche Antiviral Purchase Program will also enable corporate Canada to keep pace with its largest trading partner - the U.S. In June of 2008, U.S. draft guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) suggested employers play a key role in protecting the health and safety of employees(3).

The HHS states that corporate stockpiles of antivirals, in coordination with public health stockpiles, would extend protection from influenza illness more broadly than could be achieved through the public sector alone. In combination, these private and public stockpiles would improve the ability toachieve the national response goals of mitigating disease, suffering, and death, and minimizing impacts on the economy and functioning of society(4).

"Our new corporate stockpiling purchase program is designed to be flexible and helps to alleviate some of the pressure on governments," continued Miller. "The result of corporations and governments working in tandem benefits all Canadians because there will be a broader approach to emergency influenza management."