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Original poster

Antibiotic shortages for children

55 replies

herbaltea21 · 14/12/2022 20:32

What the heck is going on!

My friend who lives in my area tried over 16 pharmacies today to get antibiotics for her child before she found a pharmacy over an hours drive away with stock.

This is concern me greatly. How can this be actually happening?

OP posts:
Mouldyfoodhelp · 14/12/2022 20:34

Is it just for children? I actually have no clue but I do know my doctor sent a prescription to a supermarket pharmacy instead of our usual one when I had to pick them up for my dad this week as our regular one was out of Amoxicillin

AlwaysFullOfQuestions22 · 14/12/2022 20:36

Yep 22 chemist's for liquid penicillin the one with the long ph.... Penicillin name.
Gp then changed to amoxicillin and took another 17. I drove hours. Poorly dc at home. Otherside of the city. Was ringing loads to. Lots had voicemail saying no stock

AIBAnxious · 14/12/2022 20:40

I had this. Worst thing was loads of pharmacies don't answer the phone so I was driving round the country when I should have been able to sit at home and ring then!

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GetYourShitTogether · 14/12/2022 20:40

3 people in 3 separate areas, given tablets told to break them up and add liquid to give, one told (not sure if all, but def one) to make 5ml, take out 2 as the child should only have 3ml of the antibiotics.
crazy times

Jadedbuthappy82 · 14/12/2022 20:45

My sister told me at the weekend (pharmacist) that there's a huge national shortage of penicillin but that for some reason it's all being hushed up, very odd.

Punxsutawney · 14/12/2022 20:49

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2022/11/28/opinions/drug-shortages-antibiotics-ranney/index.html

Looks like there are problems elsewhere too.

Clevs · 14/12/2022 20:50

Probably because of all the hype over scarlet fever 🙄

upfucked · 14/12/2022 20:51

It was on the bbc news today.

jadedinsomniac · 14/12/2022 20:52

My daughter had scarlet fever and got home yesterday after a 3 day hospital admission as she was given tablets she couldn't swallow as she's only 2. There is a shortage of liquid penicillin. We tried to get liquid and ended up with tablets.

Alisonscutehairflick · 14/12/2022 20:52

I’m really worried as to what’s going ti happen over Christmas when most pharmacies are closed! How on earth are people going to get the drugs then?

Original poster
herbaltea21 · 14/12/2022 20:52

Oh my god what are we going to even do?!
My son is allergic to penicillin so he is limited. Absolutely not a chance in hell would he take a tablet, he's two!
Feeling really stressed about this 😰

OP posts:
hay5689 · 14/12/2022 20:55

@herbaltea21 does he need antibiotics? I'm sure they won't expect a child to take tablets especially a two year old.

TimeForMeToF1y · 14/12/2022 20:55

Jadedbuthappy82 · 14/12/2022 20:45

My sister told me at the weekend (pharmacist) that there's a huge national shortage of penicillin but that for some reason it's all being hushed up, very odd.

It's not being hushed up, its been on the BBC all over the internet, social media

DeathMetalMum · 14/12/2022 21:01

Yes there is a shortage, but doctors are prescribing tablets that can be crushed, or capsules that can be opened and sprinkled on to Yoghurt or something similar. Also they seem to be prescribing alternatives for other things where maybe penicillin is first line choice. It's actually fairly common for medicines to be unavailable temporarily, particularly when there is a surge in demand. Wholesalers only stock a certain amount and it takes time for them to react to a sharp increase in demand. It's often usually sorted in a week or two.

Most pharmacies will shut for maybe one or two additional days over Christmas, and even then there will be some in every area open for part of the day (even Christmas day).

jadedinsomniac · 14/12/2022 21:01

@herbaltea21 they can and they will. We left with 10 days of tablets for my 2 year old. Unfortunately she got a lot worse and we ended up in hospital on iv antibiotics

Original poster
herbaltea21 · 14/12/2022 21:03

My son is a medicine refuser. He had calpol in suppository form. Him getting ill is so traumatic for us all because he's so uncooperative!
Just stressful thinking about all of this 😬

OP posts:
Bzzzzz · 14/12/2022 21:06

My two kids have Strep A and have been given tablets instead of the the liquid form of the antibiotic. The GP said he has stopped prescribing the kids version for now as it’s so unavailable

Alisonscutehairflick · 14/12/2022 21:09

@Bzzzzz how old are they? Are you able to crush them etc?

Ilikeanimalsmorethanpeople · 14/12/2022 21:10

Sorry to derail the thread slightly but I was prescribed liquid penicillin for DD last Monday on a 10 day course, at the end of the 10 days it looks like I'm going to have a fair bit left, can I keep this or do I need to bin it?? Thank you! X

Zosime · 14/12/2022 21:16

at the end of the 10 days it looks like I'm going to have a fair bit left, can I keep this or do I need to bin it??

Return it to the pharmacy. They will dispose of it safely. General rule for any unwanted/out of date prescription medication.

CrabbyCat · 14/12/2022 21:19

We'd already tried and failed to fill an in case prescription for amoxicillin before 111 sent us to A and E on Saturday (DC3 has had a lot of tonsillitis). A and E would have given us a bottle of amoxicillin directly rather than a prescription but they didn't have any either ... I was instead given a prescription for one of the back up antibiotics (erithromycin), even that took 4 pharmacies to get on Sunday but we were at least able to get it as a liquid. What's a bit worrying is I was only given the prescription for something different because I asked, they'd have sent me off with a prescription for something even they couldn't get hold of otherwise!

For those struggling with tablets, advice from other parents in the queue whose DC were already on antibiotics is to grind them up and hide in calpol. It's apparently much better than yoghurt or squash at hiding the taste. I haven't had to try yet though!

2021mumma · 14/12/2022 21:22

Yep happened to us too- pharmacy’s not even answering the phone so drove round the whole county in the snow looking for some.

The other thing that happened was 111 - we waited on hold 2 hours to get through to the first contact, we were told we would get a call back in the hour. 5 hours later we spoke to a doctor who said we needed to be seen and that we would get a call to arrange appointment. 2 hours later we got that call to then get an appointment 5 hours later.

I’m so worried anyone will get ill over Xmas.

I have heard ambulances are like gold dust too- so worrying

Crimsonripple · 14/12/2022 21:29

Ilikeanimalsmorethanpeople · 14/12/2022 21:10

Sorry to derail the thread slightly but I was prescribed liquid penicillin for DD last Monday on a 10 day course, at the end of the 10 days it looks like I'm going to have a fair bit left, can I keep this or do I need to bin it?? Thank you! X

I'll get flamed for this but keep it and put it in the fridge! You never know when you might need it! Yes yes bad parent, tie me to the stake. However it's been a life saver before!

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 14/12/2022 21:30

It’s the same in Canada. An amoxicillin shortage and a shortage of infant and child pain relief - liquid Advil/Tylenol etc.

maeveiscurious · 14/12/2022 21:31

Apple juice is a good carrier for medication. Add sugar if they are refusing it.