ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The term supply chain issues has been used frequently over the past year and has primarily affected automobiles and electronics but now it has reached pharmaceuticals at a very crucial point of the year.
Northside Pharmacies Director E.J. Stoepfel explained how his company is dealing with medicine shortages and what people can expect to see locally.
“We’re seeing shortages with very common medications, both over-the-counter and prescription medications,” Stoepfel said. “So, I know people are asking specifically about Children’s Tylenol and children’s ibuprofen. And on the prescription side we’re seeing amoxicillin, which is very common, Tamiflu, we’re seeing albuterol inhalers that are running low.”
2022 differs from other years because we are entering the heart of cold and flu season with three major respiratory viruses circulating at a time when people are breaking free from the pandemic restrictions.
“It really has come to just a simple supply and demand situation,” Stoepfel said. “The demand is up because flu is very high in all the states right now and we’re also seeing other respiratory diseases higher than normal this year.”
Stoepfel anticipates the shortages remaining for another month to month-and-a-half until the number of flu cases begin to wane and noted that Northside is doing its best to maintain inventories.
