"Although there are still questions about peramivir's true effectiveness, some critics say the government moved too slowly to make the drug available, and that even now, access is too restricted. For each patient, doctors must call an 800 number or fill out a form on a Web site run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug is then sent overnight from a central stockpile," the newspaper writes.

"If you have a critically ill patient, to delay therapy, it's just incomprehensible to me," said Richard Whitley, the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, who encouraged the distribution of the drug so that hospitals could have it on hand (Pollack, 11/5).

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