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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:
jellybe · 14/12/2022 21:32

Yup, national shortage of liquid penicillin. My GP this morning prescribed DS who is 6 tablets as she was concerned we wouldn't be able to get the liquid. She also gave me the prescription rather than send it to our regular chemist just incase they didn't have the tablet for so we could go somewhere else.

DS has strep A I assume the up spike in people having it at the moment is the reason behind the shortages. That and Brexit.

Beginningless · 14/12/2022 21:35

My daughter had steroids in tablet form and happily took them crushed in jam or honey. I remember Nutella being used as a child as well.

Peedoffo · 14/12/2022 21:36

If they are over 5 they can be given the same tablets as adults it's the same dosage, put them in yoghurt etc, hidden in chocolate rolls. We do that all the time in hospital where adults won't take their medication because of confusion etc. Liquid medications are very expensive.

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Bzzzzz · 14/12/2022 21:39

They are 5 and 9 so we are able to crush and bribe them 😁

Bzzzzz · 14/12/2022 21:42

One of the Sunday papers had a report about drug companies reacting to the demand for penicillin and hiking up what they charge the pharmacies, by more than they were being refunded by NHS. Another thing having an impact on supply.

PicaNewName · 14/12/2022 21:47

Clevs · 14/12/2022 20:50

Probably because of all the hype over scarlet fever 🙄

At least 15 children died. That's not hype.

EllaPaella · 14/12/2022 21:53

Sorry but it's nothing to do with 'hype'. GP's won't prescribe antibiotics unless they think it's necessary so it makes no sense to say it's hype, they are correctly being prescribed for those who need them and it's daft to be in some kind of denial about it. Penicillin and amoxicillin are bog standard antibiotics and should be readily available and in plentiful supply. It's concerning that they aren't. My 8 year old has just finished a course for a confirmed Strep infection (confirmed by throat swab). We had to visit several pharmacies to get the antibiotics and were told by each pharmacy that there is a shortage.

bluelogo92 · 14/12/2022 21:54

Hi everyone Pharmacy tech here!

we are absolutely experiencing a shortage at the moment and in my pharmacy we are unable to get any liquid antibiotics at all.

doctors are under instruction to prescribe capsules/tablets at the suitable age dosage and that can be crushed and sprinkled.

a lot of people comment about pharmacies not answering the phone, unfortunately all pharmacies are in their busy period right now and on top of it we have strep. We take hundreds of calls every day but are unable to answer every single one as well as go about our workload which is ever increasing.

we actually informed 16 local surgeries yesterday we were out of stock of liquid antibiotics but yet they were still sending prescriptions to us. We really are trying to direct people to the right places.

there is also a post going about instructing people to head to pharmacies for throat swabs and the that the pharmacists can prescribe antibiotics for strep. It’s completely untrue, very very few prescribing pharmacists in the UK and the swabs are not an NHS service. They are not widely available and if a pharmacy has them it’s on a private basis and can cost up to £40. The abuse we receive because of this kind of false information is shocking 😫

this is just a bit of advice really, everyone is in the same boat until we receive enough supply to keep up with the demand. We try and order 4/5 times a day and currently there is nothing available for us.

EllaPaella · 14/12/2022 21:56

There is also a shortage of erythromycin so it's nothing to do with 'hype' as that's a completely different antibiotic. Certain antibiotics are simply not readily available.

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 14/12/2022 21:57

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!

Antibiotics are not stable enough to keep. They won't do you any harm, but they won't do much good and taking a sub-therapeutic dose will contribute to antimicrobial resistance. This isn't flaming, it's fact.

WeWereInParis · 14/12/2022 22:05

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!

You can't do this with the liquid, it doesn't last long once made up. My DD was prescribed 10 days worth a few weeks ago and we were given 5 days worth, and told to come back in a few days to pick up the rest as it wouldn't last if they gave it all at the start.

DeathMetalMum · 14/12/2022 22:08

Crimsonripple · 14/12/2022 21:29

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!

Show quote history

Return it to the pharmacy or discard the full bottle. Don't tip it down the sink.

It can't be kept. Depending on the antibiotic and brand it will only be able to be kept for max 14 days. Some are not suitable after 7 days.

Original poster
herbaltea21 · 14/12/2022 22:09

So just out of curiosity, how do you crush tablets when they come in a capsule?
Isn't this crazy?! I wonder when they will all come back in stock 🙁

OP posts:
RafaistheKingofClay · 14/12/2022 22:11

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.

I don’t think it’s being hushed up. Not more than any other supply issue. It’s just that someone asked Rishi and apparently he’s turned out to be just as incapable of telling the truth as you’d expect from current Conservative politicians.

bluelogo92 · 14/12/2022 22:13

You don’t crush the capsules you open them and sprinkle them onto food, the official guidelines say we should tell parents to put it in yoghurt but anything will do to get them into the child

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 14/12/2022 22:14

herbaltea21 · 14/12/2022 22:09

So just out of curiosity, how do you crush tablets when they come in a capsule?
Isn't this crazy?! I wonder when they will all come back in stock 🙁

You can carefully open the capsule and tip the granules out. Just get hold of each end of the capsule and pull and twist gently over a bowl or cup until the two halves come apart. Only do this if you know/have been told it's OK though.

DeathMetalMum · 14/12/2022 22:14

Capsules have the medication inside them in granules. They can be opened fairly easily at the centre and poured out. Normally not advisable as often it doesn't taste very nice, or the capsule is designed to ensure the medicine reached the stomach or delivered in a certain way. However it's fine to do this for Amoxicillin.

Blocked · 14/12/2022 22:17

I heard on the radio today that the govt has now stopped the export of antibiotics so that should help supply.

ZealAndArdour · 14/12/2022 22:26

EllaPaella · 14/12/2022 21:56

There is also a shortage of erythromycin so it's nothing to do with 'hype' as that's a completely different antibiotic. Certain antibiotics are simply not readily available.

It’s the second line treatment for Strep Pharyngitis in a penicillin allergic child. Hence it being out of stock, due to the hype! 🙄🙄🙄

Neighneigh · 14/12/2022 22:28

DH works for one of the biggest suppliers of generics to the NHS - there are shortages across the pharma market, it's not just antibiotics (which they don't make before anyone has a pop!), and it's been going on a while. It's largely to do with covid in India and China where most active ingredients for drugs come from; their factories don't have the capacity to keep up. While factories in the UK process (packaging & distribution etc) not much is actually made here.

All prices in pharma go up and down an incredible amount and it's a very flexible market. If someone goes out of stock, the others put prices up. And down again when there's competition. You can see a drug go from 50p a box to £15 and down to £5 then back to 50p within a six month period (these are prices the wholesalers etc pay obviously. And someone like Boots will add their own markup so it's not even the manufacturer setting retail prices for over the counter drugs). It's simple economics even though most people don't agree with how it works (me included). There are rules on excessive pricing, ie not above a branded launch price, but they're not clear and can be contested. There are also systems in place for stockpiling but apparently one of the main ones was ditched just before covid....

It's a market just like food, petrol etc and it will improve, it's just that there's a perfect storm at the moment. I know that doesn't help people driving hours to find medicine but hopefully explains a little.

bloodyeverlastinghell · 14/12/2022 22:36

Crimsonripple · 14/12/2022 21:29

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!

Show quote history

I think this stuff has a short shelf life. When DS needed liquid amoxycillan for 10 days pharmacist made up a weeks supply and we had to go back to get a second bottle on day 6 as it doesn't keep. This was ages ago so before shortages.

Peedoffo · 14/12/2022 22:47

Please ask for the tablets they can be opened put in yoghurt , nutrigrain bars , chocolate rolls 🤣🤣🤣 I've spent too much time at work doing covert medications.

RampantIvy · 14/12/2022 23:00

It's shocking. All these poorly children and distraught parents dealing with them. DD puts prescriptions together and she has to deal with upset patients all the time. They just can't get liquid antibiotics for love nor money. A friend is a nurse and she says that they have the same problems round here as well.

DD say there is a tablet that will disperse in water, but she couldn't remember what it was off the top of her head.

As a parent I remember just how ill DD was with UTIs and ear infections when she was little. If I couldn't have got hold of the antibiotics she would have ended up in hospital.

I hope they get this sorted soon.

autumndays2 · 14/12/2022 23:01

Hi i asked the question earlier this week about grinding tablets after trying mixing with yogurt. Following a suggestion my DD has done really well with the tablet sprinkled on a spoon of honey. NB you can get proper pill grinders from chemists which are really easy.

Peedoffo · 14/12/2022 23:07

autumndays2 · 14/12/2022 23:01

Hi i asked the question earlier this week about grinding tablets after trying mixing with yogurt. Following a suggestion my DD has done really well with the tablet sprinkled on a spoon of honey. NB you can get proper pill grinders from chemists which are really easy.

eBay Amazon do pill cutters and crushers. It's a bit more fiddly but you can absolutely get a child to take tablet medication. I manage to get very confused patients to take them.