DS's medication out of stock everywhere

[YourSpleenIsDamp]

Does anyone know if there's a quick way of finding out which pharmacies have prescription meds in stock please? DS is on liquid fluoxetine, apparently there's an issue with the manufacturer, and nowhere can get any. I've been ringing all the pharmacies locally but most of them don't answer the phone. I'd happily drive around every pharmacy til I ran out of petrol, but I have autoimmune arthritis and it's painful to drive at the moment. Boots have an online stock checker, but nothing available within 30 miles. Anyone know if there's a simpler, easier way to check pharmacy stock?

It’s Sunday so I would imagine many pharmacies are shut today (they all are around here anyway). I’d start again in the morning. Where do you normally get it from. I order all my meds from Lloyd’s online and they can usually give an indication of when something will be back in stock.

Sorry, should have said, I spent Friday afternoon phoning, and yesterday morning too, still not getting any luck on the phone. I guess they're busy!

There's a supply issue with the manufacturer, so nobody can order it, and they say it "should" be available mid March. Only have about four days' worth left. He's only eleven, and he'll have to cope with withdrawal symptoms at this rate. This is hellish :-(

Can the gp prescribe an alternative?

I've withdrawn from ADs and it really didn't effect me (admittedly I was an adult!) so he might well be OK transferring to a different one.

That's awful. I would try the pharmacy in your biggest local hospital first.

You can phone the GP in the morning and ask for advice?

You can check Boots stock online:
www.boots.com/online/psc/

I can't get my medication at the moment either (frovatriptan), so I've been searching there using postcodes for anyone I know to see if I can get the prescription sent to that pharmacy and then get my mate to pick it up and post it to me.... No joy so far despite that and phoning every pharmacy in a 50 mile radius.

ive had the same with my DS’s adhd medication. It was out of stock with the supplier so no pharmacies in my area had it.

I contacted his team who were able to prescribe a similar alternative, which we got with no problem. When I picked it up, it was EXACTLY the same medication as he usually has, in the same packaging 🤷🏽‍♀️. It’s definitely worth asking for an alternative - I think you have to ask for the generic brand rather than the named brand.

Good luck, I know how worrying it is.

I'm planning on speaking to CAMHS first thing in the morning. From memory, though, I think fluoxetine is the only SSRI licensed for children. And I've just had months of trying to get him to take it in any form - finally had success with the liquid. He won't understand why we can't get the same stuff, and he'll notice if it's different and then he won't take it. I could cry. Actually, I did cry on the poor pharmacist on Friday. But that won't solve anything.

Boots Pharmacy advised me to check with independent pharmacies as they have access to different suppliers. The main chains (Boots, Lloyds etc) use the same suppliers.

Have you had a look at the online pharmacy to see if you can get it delivered?

I spoke with the hospital pharmacy yesterday - apparently CAMHS is in a different department so the main hospital pharmacy won't fill the prescription. Hoping CAMHS have their own secret pharmacy tucked away somewhere!

What is his dose?

He's on 20mg, which is 5ml.

Thank you.

20mg capsules can be opened and dispersed in water or mixed into yoghurt

you can ask your GP to check this information and change your script to capsules and add the administration directions to the dose so it’s on the label.

Sorry jus try specify the capsule can be opened and the contents of the capsule can be dispersed in water or mixed into yoghurt”

your GP will have access to the proper literatures describing this so he should check this first and like I said add the proper instructions to your script

If it comes in tablet form, just crush it up and put it in his favourite food.

Can you empty capsules out and mix with water/ juice or put them on yogurt. It's what we would on my ward if no liquid.

Might be an idea if you can, to get him to start taking tablets.

He's autistic with severe sensory aversions. I've spent weeks/months trying it in different forms. I've tried crushing tablets. I've tried crushing capsules. I've spent countless hours trying to teach him to swallow tablets with no luck. I taught his brother to swallow tablets ages 6, but DS2 just doesn't get it.

I was going to say the same. I taught ADHD DS this in year 3 using tic tacs so if they don't swallow it it's not unpleasant. He got it. Alternatively you can crush pills into a spoon of jam and swallow the jam. I would ask the doc to prescribe pills asap and do one of these things. I get very bad withdrawal from citalopram after 3-4 days.

Just read your update. Will he understand it's out of stock in liquid but that he can take the same thing with his favorite dessert food: Chocolate mousse, Ice cream, Nutella, jam? And a nice drink afterwards.

It’s basically a syrup make some sugar syrup water (like what you use in cocktails get some of it and dissolve the tiny granules from the inside of 20mg capsule into it and give it to him in the same way you normally would. If he can take 5mls of oral liquid then he can take some sugar water with tiny beads completely dissolved in it

He doesn't eat yogurt. He barely eats at all. This is the only thing which has started to help him after months of attempts at talking therapies/CAMHS intervention/meds. If it's different he won't take it. He suffers migraines with no pain relief since Sainsbury's discontinued their children's ibuprofen liquid. He'd rather be in pain than swallow a different medicine. He's that mythical child who will actually starve himself rather than eat something unfamiliar.

@MerryMarigold I was looking after a 6 year old with ADHD who happily swallowed his methylphenidate capsules.

Try Asda, for some reason they always have things that are hard to get.

Well you aren’t going to know if you don’t try so it’s either go without or try the capsules in sugar syrup. Your the parent your call