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Medical experts are questioning why so much money was spent developing and then stocking [out / up] on medications for influenza. The tablet Tamiflu and [nasal / naval] spray Relenza are commonly [proscribed / prescribed] by doctors to treat the flu. Governments have [heavy / heavily] stockpiled the drugs as a [precaution / precautionary] in the event of an influenza epidemic. However, new research [casts / cast] doubt on their effectiveness and on the claims made [by / at] their manufacturers. The Cochrane Collaboration, a non-profit healthcare [research / researched] network, and the British Medical Journal published a report based [in / on] clinical trials of the drugs. The study questions whether governments should be [spending / spent] money on the drugs.

The research says Tamiflu does what [manufacturing / manufacturers] claim in that it shortens the [symptomatic / symptoms] of influenza by half a day. However, it says there is insufficient [providence / evidence] to support claims that the drug reduces the [livelihood / likelihood] of hospitalization or serious complications. The researchers also found Tamiflu increased the [risky / risk] of nausea and vomiting by [up / as] to five per cent, and could cause headaches and [depressing / depression] . Tamiflu's makers said the research excluded "real-world data". The research team said Relenza worked little [better / well] than gargling with salt water or taking over-the-counter pain [relievers / reliefs] . The maker, GlaxoSmithKline, said: "When used appropriately, in the right patient, it can [deduce / reduce] the duration of flu symptoms."