ARCHIVED: Glossary: The Management of the National Antiviral Stockpile: Options Report

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Antiviral = prescription drug to treat or prevent illness associated with viral infections
Antivirals for treatment - administration of antiviral within 24-48 hours of the onset of first symptoms.  Duration is usually 5 days

Antivirals for Prophylaxis (prevention) – antivirals used for prevention either taken before potential exposure to infected individuals to prevent illness (pre-exposure prophylaxis) or taken following close contact with an infected individual to prevent illness (post-exposure prophylaxis). 

Dose = a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time.  A certain quantity of capsules/tablets, inhalations (via dry powder through an inhalation device), or liquid.

Capsule = a pill in the form of a small rounded container with medicine inside in a certain quantity of mg (milligrams)

Tablet = a dose of medicine (in milligrams) in the form of a small pellet

Blister Pack = a transparent plastic blister used to store multiple quantities of medicine (either in powder, or tablet format)

Dose equivalents = the number of doses of antivirals, adjusted to incorporate variations in capsule requirements for children 

Treatment course =  describes the amount of antiviral required (in doses) to treat illness, and is based on recommendations supplied in the manufacturer’s product monograph.   For current recommendations on standard dosages, refer to the Product Monograph, or the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan, Annex E^vii .

Prophylaxis course = duration of prophylaxis is determined by the circumstances.  Standard post-exposure prophylaxis for all of the antivirals currently stockpiled is given for 10 days.  For outbreak control, prophylaxis is continued until the outbreak is over, usually 10-14 days.  Pre-exposure use for oseltamivir and zanamivir and use beyond 28 days for zanamivir is not an approved indication and would be considered off-label use of the drug.  Pre-exposure prophylaxis for amantadine generally continues for the duration of exposure. 

Acronyms

• API – Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
• AVSMTG – Antiviral Stockpile Management Task Group
• AVWG – Antiviral Working Group
• CPIP – Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector
• DND – Department of National Defence
• DFAIT – Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
• FNIHB – First Nations Inuit Health Branch
• F/P/T – Federal/Provincial/Territorial
• MOU – Memorandum of Understanding
• NAS – National Antiviral Stockpile
• NC – Notifiable Change
• NDS – New Drug Submission
• NESS – National Emergency Stockpile System
• P/T – Provincial/Territorial
• PHAC – Public Health Agency of Canada
• PHNC – Public Health Network Council
• PIC – Pandemic Influenza Committee
• WHO – World Health Organization

^vii Public Health Agency of Canada (2006).  Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector, Annex E (revised May 2009) located at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cpip-pclcpi/