Amoxicillin antibiotics shortage worries parents

Last week, when mom of three Kate Brown, 43, was told her local Walgreens and neighboring pharmacies were out of liquid amoxicillin — it was hard to swallow. Both her 10-year-old, Lydia, and 2-year-old, Genevieve, were in the throes of painful ear infections. Brown not only had to contend with caring for two sick children — and the tears and sleepless nights that come with the job — she had to deal with the fact that the needed antibiotics were unavailable.

“Everyone and their brother needs antibiotics right now,” she told The Post. And “the pharmacist was like, ‘Listen, I’m going to tell you right now, nobody has amoxicillin.’ ”

Since last spring, US parents have had to contend with a formula shortage that left thousands struggling to feed their infants and continues to persist despite Abbott’s Michigan, plant reopening in July. Now, just in time for the start of the cold and flu season, moms and dads are facing the shortage of another child-rearing essential: amoxicillin. The commonly prescribed antibiotic, often used to treat ear infections and bronchitis, was added to the Food and Drug Administration‘s list of drug shortages Oct. 28. The shortage is specifically affecting “amoxillicin oral powder,” which pharmacists use to mix a liquid version of the medication that is easy to administer to young children. An FDA spokesperson said such supply issues can occur for many reasons, including manufacturing, quality problems, delays and discontinuations.

“[My daughter] can’t swallow pills, she only tolerates liquid amoxicillin,” Brown, who lives in Detroit, told The Post. “We had to call the doctor to get a substitute.” 

Lydia was eventually prescribed an amoxicillin adjacent drug called cefdinir, but Brown was initially hesitant to give it to her. She recently took it herself when sick and experienced heart palpitations, but had no other choice but to give it to her daughter.

After multiple trips to the doctor and Urgent Care, little Genevieve was finally prescribed liquid augmentin, a drug that combines amoxicillin and clavulanic acid. Brown was again hesitant.

“She’s never had it before. Obviously, when you add a secondary drug there’s probably more risk for side effects, but the Urgent Care said they can’t get liquid amoxicillin,” Brown said. “It’s a little bit freaky.”

Doctors are just as exasperated as parents. Deborah Greenhouse, a Columbia, South Carolina, pediatrician and mom, is frustrated about the difficulties she’s facing when treating her patients due to shortages of various popular, essential medications.

“Today: I tried to prescribe amoxicillin for an ear infection: The pharmacy didn’t have it. I tried to prescribe Tamiflu for flu. The pharmacy didn’t have it. I tried to prescribe adderall for ADHD,” Greenhouse recently tweeted. “The pharmacy didn’t have it. If that doesn’t bother you, it should,”

Greenhouse told The Post that she and her colleagues have started giving patients both electronic and paper prescriptions, so that they can more easily go to multiple pharmacies in search of liquid amoxicillin or other medications.

“We’re putting the work back into the hands of the family rather than coming back to us.
Our phones are literally ringing off the hook. Our office staff can’t keep up,” she said. “There are so many sick kids out there just no way to handle it.”

The amoxicillin shortage comes as children’s hospitals are flooded with cases of respiratory syncytial virus. While amoxicillin isn’t used to treat RSV, the illness does predispose some young children to secondary bacterial infections, such as ear infections, that are typically treated with amoxicillin.

It’s enough to put parents across the country on edge. Samantha, a Westchester County mother of two who declined to give her last name, has been stockpiling formula for months to feed her 5-month-old baby. Now, she’s worried about what might happen if and when her children need amoxicillin this winter.

“As a parent it’s really concerning to not be able to find the basic things you need for your children,” she said. “And it’s even more stressful to have to compete with people looking for the same things.”