Supply chain struggles with turkeys and eggs are not the only shortages on Nebraskans’ minds this holiday season. The nationwide amoxicillin shortage has reached Nebraska, where the drug is scarce on pharmacy shelves. “We are trying to conserve what we do have for those who can’t receive anything else,” said Nebraska Medicine pharmacy coordinator Krysta Baack. “If they do have any in stock, it’s a very small quantity. At Nebraska Medicine as of Friday, we only had a two-week supply on hand of amoxicillin suspension.”For some people, there are alternative medications.”It might not be the first choice necessarily, but we will have to, like lean pretty heavily on those,” said Baack, but the liquid amoxicillin can be critical for the youngest children. “It’s never a good feeling when you have to tell them that you don’t have something.”Respiratory syncytial virus, flu and COVID-19 are all still spreading, contributing to the so-called “tri-demic.”Baack said those viral illnesses can lead to a kid contracting a bacterial sickness, the kind typically treated by amoxicillin. Health care workers concur: good hand hygiene and staying home when sick are extra important this winter. That extra caution might be the best holiday gift for people who work in hospitals, pharmacies or doctor’s offices.”We see a lot of our sick kiddos right now, with fall and winter coming up,” said pediatric nurse Hannah Brand. “Just keeping that in mind that we do have the potential of bringing those things home to our families. So just to be appreciative of the work that your nurses are doing.”
Supply chain struggles with turkeys and eggs are not the only shortages on Nebraskans’ minds this holiday season. The nationwide amoxicillin shortage has reached Nebraska, where the drug is scarce on pharmacy shelves.
“We are trying to conserve what we do have for those who can’t receive anything else,” said Nebraska Medicine pharmacy coordinator Krysta Baack. “If they do have any in stock, it’s a very small quantity. At Nebraska Medicine as of Friday, we only had a two-week supply on hand of amoxicillin suspension.”
For some people, there are alternative medications.
“It might not be the first choice necessarily, but we will have to, like lean pretty heavily on those,” said Baack, but the liquid amoxicillin can be critical for the youngest children. “It’s never a good feeling when you have to tell them that you don’t have something.”
Respiratory syncytial virus, flu and COVID-19 are all still spreading, contributing to the so-called “tri-demic.”
Baack said those viral illnesses can lead to a kid contracting a bacterial sickness, the kind typically treated by amoxicillin.
Health care workers concur: good hand hygiene and staying home when sick are extra important this winter. That extra caution might be the best holiday gift for people who work in hospitals, pharmacies or doctor’s offices.
“We see a lot of our sick kiddos right now, with fall and winter coming up,” said pediatric nurse Hannah Brand. “Just keeping that in mind that we do have the potential of bringing those things home to our families. So just to be appreciative of the work that your nurses are doing.”