The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that the liquid version of a common antibiotic is in short supply.
Oral amoxicillin, an antibiotic used commonly to treat such things as ear infections in children, has been added to the FDA’s drug shortage database and is listed as “currently in shortage.”
Increased demand for the drug is listed as the reason for the shortage.
A representative of Sandoz, a division of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, described a “supply situation” that resulted in a “significant uptake” in demand for amoxicillin.
“Generally, what we see in the drug shortages is on the production side. In this case, we don’t have any indication from the manufacturers that they’re having any sort of difficulty with production,” Michael Ganio, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ senior director for pharmacy practice and quality, told CNN. “This one seems to be driven by demand, which is a little unusual. We see increased demand as a cause of a shortage fairly infrequently.”
The respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, has sent children to the doctor and hospital in large numbers this year, and while amoxicillin would not be used for a virus, it is prescribed for secondary bacterial infections that can come with RSV.
According to CNN, many pharmacies have the drug in stock, but not in the strength needed for the prescription.
That could require a pharmacist to work out the right dose with the health care provider, the story said.
CVS said in a statement that it has seen “isolated” shortages of the drug.
“We’ve seen isolated supplier product shortages of certain doses of the medication,” the company said in a statement. “We’re working with manufacturers to replenish supply as quickly as possible.”
Walgreens said it had not seen shortages yet.
Shortages in some areas could lead to a delay in getting the drug or the need to go to several pharmacies to get a prescription filled.
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