FDA warns of drug shortage – NBC New York (47)

NEW YORK – The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about the availability of amoxicillin, saying the drug is in short supply as RSV respiratory virus cases increase across the country, including the Big Apple.

Amoxicillin is not used to directly treat RSV. However, it can be prescribed to treat secondary bacterial infections in children with RSV.

The FDA says some pharmacy owners are reporting a drop in stocks for the drug, which means manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand.

Amoxicillin is commonly prescribed to treat ear infections in children and is also used to treat other bacterial infections, including pneumonia and bronchitis, among other diseases.

The amoxicillin deficiency comes at a time when health officials warn of a “tripledemic” COVID-19 virus, the flu, and an early-onset RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus) threatening New York City.

Hospitals are already seeing spikes in hospitalizations of children linked to respiratory diseases across the nation, and the trends are evident and alarming even in New York Citysays Dr. Jay Varma, one of former mayor Bill de Blasio’s top pandemic advisors.

Data shows that emergency room visits for children under 5 with suspected acute respiratory infections, whether COVID, RSV, or others, are at their highest level in nearly a year.

“On October 26, New York City reached nearly the same number of emergency room visits for acute respiratory infections in children aged 0-4 as during the #Omicron wave in December 2021,” Varma tweeted Thursday. .