An early surge in cold and flu cases has created shortages in key antiviral and antibiotic drugs needed for the annual “sick season,” pharmacists report.
The antiviral flu drug Tamiflu is in short supply for both adults and children, in both its brand name formulation as well as the generic version, said Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
In addition, shortages are occurring in the pediatric versions of amoxicillin and Augmentin, two antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections that often follow flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) or COVID in children, said Brigid Groves, senior director of practice and professional affairs with the American Pharmacists Association.
In the discussion, Gary Cohn, then chief economic advisor to President Trump, argued against a trade war with China by invoking a Department of Commerce study that found that 97 percent of all antibiotics in the United States came from China. “If you’re the Chinese and you want to really just destroy us, just stop sending us antibiotics,” he said.

