Amoxicillin shortage hits northern Illinois
Amoxicillin, the form of penicillin many doctors turn to and parents expect when their children are sick, is in short supply across the country, including in northern Illinois.
The Food and Drug Administration listed amoxicillin on its page of drug shortages beginning on Oct. 31.
On a local Facebook page, McHenry Moms, some parents reported being either unable to get the widely prescribed antibiotic from McHenry County pharmacies for the past few weeks or having to go to more than one pharmacy to fill the prescription.
The good news, said Michael Postelnick of Northwestern Medicine's McHenry County hospitals, is that there are other antibiotics doctors can prescribe. Postelnick is the antimicrobial stewardship practice coordinator for health care system's locations in the region.
In simple terms, Postelnick helps ensure doctors are not overprescribing antibiotics, including amoxicillin.
It appears that the drug is suffering from the same supply chain issues that “we have heard about post-pandemic, ad nauseam,” Postelnick said.
A few of the manufacturers are having issues supplying the drug, and one manufacturer was shut down by the FDA, Postelnick said.
The drug is not totally unavailable, but supplies are limited, he said.
There are good alternatives, Postelnick said, and doctors prescribing antibiotics should check with pharmacies and consider those if amoxicillin is not available.
“They cover the same bacterium as amoxicillin,” he said of the alternatives. Doctors prefer amoxicillin, however, “because it covers a narrower spectrum and is less likely to cause problems down the road.”
Families that cannot find a pharmacy with it in stock should not get old drugs from friends or family, he said.
“That is bad. Antibiotics are prescribed for a course of therapy, and you should finish the course,” he said.
Keeping that antibiotic around “just in case for the next time is a great way to make bacteria resistant” to drugs, he said. Those leftover pills are not enough to complete a course of treatment, he said.
If someone is taking an antibiotic for five of their seven days, for example, and feel better, they may ask their doctor if they can discontinue the treatment, he added.
Overall, he said, doctors have gotten better about not prescribing the bacteria-killing drugs when not necessary. But collectively, “30% to 50% of antibiotic use for outpatients is unnecessary,” he said.
In pediatrics, Postelnick calls it a “balancing act” when deciding what to prescribe.
“You have to rely on your physician on when it should occur and when it shouldn't,” he said of the prescription. Just because a child has an ear infection does not mean it is bacterial, he said.
“That is where your pediatrician becomes very important,” Postelnick said.
According to the websites Northwestern Medicine uses to track drug availability, it is thought supplies will rebound this month or in December.
In the meantime, parents or adults who need an antibiotic should speak to their doctor about those alternatives, Postelnick said.