From today,Tamiflu at select stores

Around eight companies have been shortlisted to distribute the drugs to 20 chemists,he said.

Meanwhile,one more person succumbed to HINI virus on Monday,taking the toll to 57. Two deaths – a three-month-old and a six-year-old – were registered at Sassoon General Hospital due to suspected swine flu symptoms.

It has to be confirmed whether their deaths were due to H1N1 virus,Dr P S Pawar,medical superintendent,Sassoon Hospital,said. There are 57 deaths due to swine flu and around 15 people were detected positive with the virus on Sunday,Dr Ashok Mehta,Joint Director of Health,said.

Forty-six-year-old Ambadas Shivratri from Ahmednagar died at Sahyardi Munot Hospital on Monday. He had been undergoing treatment since September 6,Mehta said. Nine people are on the ventilator in various hospitals. So far,19,998 people who had suspected swine flu symptoms have been given Tamiflu tablets.

The Fluvir tablets to be available at the chemists shop will cost Rs 449 for a strip of 10 tablets. So far these drugs were distributed by the government registered centres and a few private hospitals.

Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Hetero Healthcare Ltd has sent a stock of 36,000 tablets,an FDA official said,adding that applications have been invited for distribution and sale of the drug.

According to Mahendra Pitaliya,coordinator of the Chemists Association of Pune district,the drugs are already available at Swasthik Medical Store and the medical store at Poona Hospital.