Hawaii has been experiencing a months-long shortage of cold medicines. This is part of an ongoing national trend.
A cold medicine shelf at your local Longs Drugs? Quite empty. the goal? It’s pretty empty as well.
Many retail drugstores have bare shelves in the over-the-counter cold remedies section, featuring the most popular brands of antipyretic and pain relievers, especially for children under 12.
This has been the case since at least Christmas, and retailers have generally been unable to vouch for any visible end.
A sign on an empty shelf at a Longs Drugs store reads: The supplier is temporarily unable to supply this product to retailers. ”
Meanwhile, CVS Health, which operates Longs Drugs in Hawaii, has all CVS pharmacy locations and cvs.com.
A CVS spokesperson said in an email, “We are dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers and are working with our suppliers to ensure continued access to these items.
Target places restrictions on online purchases (where available). A recent online search for liquid kids Tylenol on Oahu yielded “out of stock” results for grape, cherry and bubblegum. The store on Oahu says that due to high demand, purchases are limited to two he per guest.
A Target spokesperson said, “We continue to closely monitor industry-wide supply constraints in this category to ensure guest availability.” “We are currently placing restrictions on online products.”
What’s Behind the Drug Shortage for Children?
Perhaps the “triple epidemic,” a surge of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, and COVID-19 that occurred during the winter months, boosted demand for cold remedies.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association argues that the shortage is not due to supply shortages on the part of manufacturers.
“Manufacturers continue to operate at maximum capacity to restock children’s pain relievers and fever reducers to meet the current extraordinary demand,” the CHPA said in a statement posted online. says. “While there are no widespread shortages and member companies continue to ship products to retailers to replenish supplies as quickly as possible, the limited products on store shelves are not available to parents and caregivers. I know it’s frustrating for
The CHPA said the “triple infection” has created an extraordinary demand for over-the-counter children’s pain relievers and fever reducers, but there is no shortage of effective pharmaceutical ingredients.
Sales of these products increased 65% in November compared to the same period in 2021, according to industry groups. December sales increased 30% compared to the same period in 2021.
“This is a case of manufacturing responding to historically high demand,” said CHPA. ”
RSV and influenza are declining nationally, but supplies appear to be catching up.
what should parents do?
Dr. Caroline Chang, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente, said there was a peak in RSV and influenza at the end of 2022. Both are down, but they may not be completely gone yet. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the usual pattern of flu and colds into an unusual pattern, she noted.
Fortunately, Kaiser has its own pharmacy and is able to maintain a supply of cold medicine for children.
Chan said generic brands containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen are fine substitutes for popular brands like Tylenol and Motrin. For children who can chew, chewable tablets may be easier to find than liquid medicines.
Children 6 months and older can use generic brands of acetaminophen and ibuprofen to reduce pain and fever. Infants 6 months and younger should continue to use acetaminophen.
Other ways to help a child with a fever include bathing or cold compresses to make them feel more comfortable. Do not give to
“I want to remind parents that fever itself does not necessarily require treatment,” she said. “Fever is part of the body’s response to infection and indicates that the body is fighting the infection. The key is rest, water and time for the body to do what it needs to do. But we doesn’t want people to be miserable, so if you have a headache or sore throat, Tylenol and ibuprofen can help you feel more comfortable.
Parents should contact a pediatrician if their child has a predisposition such as asthma and thinks they may have the flu or COVID-19, she said. For influenza, children with these conditions may be candidates for Tamiflu.
Fever generally lasts 48 to 72 hours, but if there is no improvement and the child does not drink, eat, or get out of bed, parents should also contact the pediatrician. Parents should also contact their pediatrician if a child has a fever that shows improvement and then worsens again on day 5, indicating a possible secondary infection.
RSV and influenza, which started earlier than usual, have weakened nationwide this season, and we may see signs of easing.
Epidemiologist Kaitlyn Rivers, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University, said in her latest report that flu-like illnesses continued to decline in the third week of January, with three major outbreaks in New Mexico, New York City and Puerto Rico. It states that only jurisdictions are still reporting high levels.
Hawaii has been classified at minimal levels for several weeks, but flu could last all year here. “We don’t yet know if the number of cases will peak,” he said.
To date, 19 outbreaks of influenza-like illness have been reported to the State Department of Health, including one during the week of 8-14 January. So far this season, 6.6% of all specimens tested have been positive for influenza.
The health ministry said the COVID-19 positive rate dropped to 4.7% on Wednesday, down from 6.0% the previous week, and the average number of cases over the seven days dropped to 109 per day. However, it is often not reported for home testing.
Guide to countermeasures against shortage of pediatric heatstroke medicine
>> Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids, such as water or children’s fluids containing electrolytes. Adequate fluid intake is important to keep your child feeling good and fighting infections.
>> Keep your child’s room cool and comfortable. Please wear light clothes.
>> If your child is sleeping and playing comfortably, you don’t need to administer antipyretics. Medications are most helpful in treating discomfort.
>> Do not treat a child’s fever with aspirin or rubbing alcohol. Both can cause serious illness.
>> Do not use adult formulations (including cutting or crushing tablets) without consulting your pediatric team about safe dosing. It is important to give doses based on the child’s weight.
>> Buy only what your child needs to prevent shortages from getting worse and to be able to supply for others.
sauce: Massachusetts Department of Health/MassachusettschapterAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
