Pharmacies experience drug shortage
Dec. 7—A nationwide shortage of antibiotics to treat cold and flu symptoms has hit pharmacies in the Yuba-Sutter area.
Local pharmacies reported experiencing shortages in over-the-counter medications, especially those used to treat children with respiratory viruses like the flu.
Jin Hansi, owner of Royal Oak Pharmacy, said that he is facing a significant shortage of Children's Tylenol and Motrin. Both medications are used to treat minor aches and pains as well as common cold and flu symptoms such as coughs and fevers.
As flu season begins in early winter, pharmacists and medical professionals expect an increased demand for cold and flu medicine, KCRA 3 reported. However, the recent shortage is impacting their ability to treat growing cases.
"It's especially hard to treat sick children right now. Other medications like amoxicillin or even generic medications like Oseltamivir are hard to find," Hansi said.
Within the past two weeks, Hardeep Dhadli, owner of Riverside Pharmacy in Yuba City, reported treating over twice the number of flu cases compared to last month's average.
Dhadli said he typically fills between five and 10 prescriptions for flu medication per day, but lately he has filled 25-30 flu prescriptions each day.
"It's overwhelming the amount of people and kids who are getting sick. I've filled around two and a half to three times as many flu prescriptions within two weeks," he said.
As of Nov. 30, the Department of Health and Human Services reported 19,593 new flu hospitalizations, a sharp increase from the 11,378 cases that were reported the week before. Over 3,000 of these cases were reported for California, officials said.
Adrian Gonzales, a system pharmacy services executive for Adventist Health, said the organization's pharmacy team is capable of handling the shortage.
"There have been several drug shortages in healthcare over the past several years, so our pharmacy team manages those challenges on a regular basis. We have several mitigation strategies to ensure our patients are properly cared for with minimal disruption. Importantly, antibiotics do not offer any value in treating viruses such as Flu and RSV," Gonzales said in an email to the Appeal. "In addition, most patients can manage cold, Flu, and RSV symptoms with over-the-counter medications and hydration. We suggest restricting antivirals, such as Tamiflu, to our most vulnerable populations."
Dhadli and Hansi have been able to keep some medications in stock, but other pharmacies carrying over-the-counter medicines are struggling to keep up with the demand. Roger Marionneaux told KCRA 3 that he visited three different pharmacies on Monday searching for a decongestant.
"I went to two pharmacies today and the shelves are completely empty. I went to the local supermarket earlier and there's nothing there. It's pretty bad when you really need it and there's nothing there," he said. "The medicine I got was a lot more expensive because I guess the demand. For a small bottle, it was $18."
Hansi said that prices for prescription medications will vary depending on the patient's insurance. He said he believes that the shortage is due to issues with medicine manufacturers.
"It's all on the back end," he said. "I would guess that the manufacturers are experiencing issues in their production."
Hansi is unsure of when he will receive more shipments of cold and flu medicine.
"The only ones who would be able to tell us anything would be the wholesalers, and they have no estimation of when shipments will resume," he said.
Dhadli has been able to keep up with prescriptions by ordering medications through several wholesalers.
"We have some medication stocked because we're able to procure from different wholesalers. We have a primary wholesaler and two secondary wholesalers that allow us to see what's available," Dhadli said. "It's really hit or miss right now. There's no information from the manufacturers as to when supplies will return to normal."
