The “triple epidemic” of influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus is leading to shortages—perhaps unnecessary in some cases—of drugs used to treat other diseases.
Some commonly used antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, have been difficult to come by this fall in the U.S., Canada and parts of Europe, and there have also been recent shortages of antibiotics in Ireland, Malaysia, Romania and Australia. Although antibiotics can treat bacterial infections, some clinicians prescribe antibiotics for patients with viral illnesses. This fall has seen a spike in patients with the viral disease in North America and around the world. That could mean that amoxicillin isn’t always given to those who really need it, such as children with ear and sinus infections or bacterial pneumonia, experts say.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told Fortune that doctors prescribing high doses of antibiotics, supply chain issues, and high demand this fall created the perfect storm.
“Unfortunately, just as we’re going through peak cold and flu season, there appear to be shortages of two of the most commonly prescribed medications,” he said, referring to amoxicillin and Tamiflu, a drug used in Antiviral drugs for treating flu patients. There are also shortages of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) for children in the United States, Canada and parts of Europe, the result of a “triple epidemic” that has created high demand for the medicines.
If you or your child has a regular healthcare provider, they probably know your medical history and needs well. When your child catches a cold virus, maybe they always get an ear infection that only goes away with antibiotics like amoxicillin, says Benjamin.
“But if you go to an emergency center, or if you treat a patient by a doctor who doesn’t know them well, the doctor will mistakenly think it’s a bacterial infection,” he said, adding that doctors may treat it with antibiotics.
George Udeani, director of pharmacy practice at Texas A&M University’s Irma L. Rangel College of Pharmacy, recently told CIDRAP News that in some cases, drug shortages have led There is no choice but to prescribe antibiotics to patients who need them, which may not be optimal and lead to antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria (rather than humans or animals) become less or less sensitive to drugs, rendering them ineffective. This could lead to “a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can be fatal,” the World Health Organization said.
If you or a loved one needs antibiotics this fall, they are available, Benjamin said. But it may not be a doctor’s first choice.
“Other antibiotics have more side effects.” He said. (Fortune Chinese website)
Translator: Zhong Huiyan-Wang Fang
This “tripledemic” of flu, COVID, and RSV is leading to shortages of drugs used to treat other conditions—perhaps needlessly, in some cases.
Some formulations of the go-to antibiotic amoxicillin are hard to come by this fall in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe, with recent shortages also reported in Ireland, Malaysia, Romania, and Australia. While antibiotics treat bacterial infections, some clinicians Prescribe them anyway for patients with viral illnesses, a slew of which are surgical in North America and globally this fall. That could mean amoxicillin isn’t always available to those who truly need it, like children with ear and sinus infections or bacterial pneum experts say.
Antibiotics have always been overprescribed, and supply-chain issues—coupled with high demand this fall—have created the perfect storm, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, told Fortune.
“Unfortunately, just as we’re going through peak cold and flu season, two of the drugs most commonly used for those, there seems to be a shortage,” he said, referring to amoxicillin and Tamiflu, an antiviral used to treat patients with the flu. The US, Canada, and parts of Europe are also seeing a shortage of acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) for children as a result of tripledemic-driven demand.
If you or your child has a regular medical provider, they likely have a good sense of your history and needs. When your child gets a cold virus, perhaps they always get an ear infection that resolves only with antibiotics like amoxicillin, Benjamin said.
“But if you go into urgent care or where someone who doesn’t know the patient is treating them, they’re going to err on the side of it being bacterial,” he said, adding they will likely treat it with antibiotics, he said.
In some cases, the shortage is leading doctors with no other choice but to prescribe need patients antibiotics that could be less than optimal and lead to antibiotic resistance, George Udeani, head of pharmacy practice at the Texas A&M Irma Rangel School of recent to Pharmacy, CIDRAP News.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria—not humans or animals—change in response to medications, rendering them ineffective. This could lead to a “post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill,” according to the World Health Organization.
If you or a loved one needs an antibiotic this fall, something will be available, Benjamin said. But it may not be your doctor’s first choice.
“Other antibiotics have more side effects,” he said.
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