‘It’s just crazy’: Shortage of liquid antibiotics leaves parents scrambling

Cordie Jagt had an inkling children's antibiotics were getting hard to find after the Simcoe mother had to visit two pharmacies to fill a prescription for liquid amoxicillin to treat her seven-year-old son's ear infection last weekend.

But the situation had worsened dramatically by the time Jagt's 10-year-old daughter, Stella, fell seriously ill with strep throat a few days later.

Jagt brought Stella to an evening clinic in Hamilton on Tuesday and left around 8 p.m. with another prescription for liquid suspension amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed - and usually widely available - children's antibiotic.

I hadn't even left (the doctor's) office and I called two pharmacies because I knew it might be a problem (to find the medication)," Jagt said.

Sure enough, both Norfolk pharmacies she called were out of stock, so Jagt started driving to pharmacies around Hamilton while her parents, who live in Brantford, called pharmacies in that city.

Between them, they tried 20 pharmacies over the course of an increasingly frantic night.

Every pharmacy was out. It was crazy," Jagt said.

Stella was beside me, needing Advil, and I didn't have any with me. And of course, no pharmacy around had any.

I just felt desperate. Here in our health-care system, we take it for granted that we can just get any prescription filled. It was an awful feeling that suddenly I need this for my child and she can't get it."

Pharmacist Priya Sandhu at Pharmasave Hamilton Medical Arts said liquid amoxicillin is not the only children's antibiotic currently in short supply.

We've seen this shortage with that and other children's antibiotics lately," she said, adding she has no idea" what is behind the lack of supply.

There have been more patients coming to the pharmacy with respiratory ailments since the school year started, but no abnormal" spike in sicknesses treated with those particular drugs, Sandhu said.

This situation was predicted in early November when four drug makers warned Health Canada of impending shortages of drugs that contain amoxicillin, which is used to treat many illnesses in children, such as bronchitis and pneumonia.

The drug companies have cited increased demand and manufacturing challenges as reasons for the shortage.

The lack of available liquid amoxicillin has meant using alternative children's antibiotics, causing pharmacies to run low on them as well, Sandhu added.

So then it leads to escalation of the back order," she said.

In a pinch, pharmacists can substitute chewable tablets or capsules that can be opened and sprinkled on foods like yogurt or pudding - even if, as Sandhu admitted, the taste leaves something to be desired.

One pharmacy Jagt visited offered her chewable tablets instead.

I'd never heard of chewable antibiotics before," she said.

Fortunately, Stella could handle the tablets, despite them reportedly tasting like chalk." But Jagt said her younger children would likely not be able to stomach them.

Sandhu said her James Street pharmacy still has a large supply" of liquid amoxicillin in stock, with more on back order.

Our pharmacy hasn't faced that (shortage) yet," she said.

We're anticipating that we will, but thankfully we did have enough in stock to carry us through till now, and hopefully for the next little while."

The medicine immediately helped Stella, who was back to her cheerful, energetic self within 24 hours.

Those first two doses were amazing. She was instantly perked up and running around," Jagt said.

She has some drugs left over and is left debating whether to give them to other parents in need or save them in case her kids get sick again.

It's almost like I'm hoarding this precious thing that other people need, and it's this awful feeling of guilt," Jagt said.

To think of rationing antibiotics for my kids - it's just crazy."

J.P. Antonacci's reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com