On Thursday, a group of Democrats in Massachusetts told Johnson & Johnson about shortages of Tylenol and Motrin amid the current respiratory virus season to find out when drug availability will return to normal. I wanted to
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), along with Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Katherine Clarke and Lori Trahan, issued a letter to Joaquin Duato, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Johnson & Johnson.
“Constituents across Massachusetts are aware of shortages of Tylenol and Motrin products for infants and children as this difficult cold and flu season intensifies, exacerbated by the surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19. are experiencing,” they wrote.
Tylenol and Motrin are both commonly used over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers, sold under the brand names ibuprofen and acetaminophen, respectively.
Demand for these drugs has increased in recent weeks as parents deal with the ongoing flu season and a surge in RSV cases that have come earlier than usual this year. Data appear to be declining in the number of cases and hospitalizations for both viruses.
In response to the growing demand, many pharmacies placed limit The amount of medicine that a customer can purchase at one time.
“While health care providers are doing their best to triage in-person care and provide guidance on home therapy for monitoring and treatment, there is no question that these medicines are essential,” lawmakers said. says.
On both Tylenol’s and Motrin’s websites, Johnson & Johnson says it continues to experience “high consumer demand caused by a very severe cold and flu season.” While acknowledging that customers are having trouble finding products in stores, the company said it “has not experienced widespread shortages” of either drug.
In the letter, lawmakers demanded to know when the company became aware of shortages of drugs, how much production had increased, and when inventories were expected to return to normal. You asked for possible “by region and city” data.
The Hill has reached out to Johnson & Johnson for comment.
