When your child gets sick, you go to the doctor and a few hours later you are usually administering a bright pink liquid, in whatever manner your child’s cooperation level requires. Generally, within a day or two, the earache, cough, or whatever was ailing your baby is gone. You just have to remember to continue administering the pink stuff as directed. (If you have a medicine fighter, please share your tips and tricks for getting the medicine “delivered” properly.)
The pink stuff is amoxicillin, a very basic, yet very powerful and critical drug that kills harmful bacterial infections efficiently and inexpensively.
There is an amoxicillin shortage in the United States right now, largely blamed on increased demand. There is a surge of flu and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) cases, especially in young children. While both the flu and RSV are viruses, the antibiotic amoxicillin is routinely prescribed to combat the bacterial infections that often occur alongside or after the viral infections.
“This shortage is a challenging one as some of the commonly prescribed strengths and forms of the medication are not available. Patients and providers may find that they have to call around to multiple pharmacies to find available supply,” said Michael Ganio, Pharm.D., senior director of pharmacy practice and quality at the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists.
The shortage doesn’t mean that kids will just have to go without medicine. Doctors just have to get creative and prescribe an alternative antibiotic if the forms and types of amoxicillin are not readily available.
One of the largest manufacturers of amoxicillin, Sandoz, blames “the combination of rapid succession of the pandemic impact and consequent demand swings, manufacturing capacity constraints, scarcity of raw materials, and the current energy crisis” on their short supply. They say they are currently able to just barely meet demands.
It is difficult to prevent contracting any of the viruses that are going around and to avoid developing a bacterial infection, but every little bit of prevention does help.