Global: Antibiotics Shortages as Surging Illnesses Spur Demand
Europe and North America have seen shortages of the key antibiotic amoxicillin and other medications as surging illnesses particularly among children have increased demand for the drugs.
Hospitals in many countries have come under pressure from a rising number of illnesses including what has been dubbed a “tripledemic” of Covid-19, influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which causes bronchiolitis.
But ramping up the production of antibiotics has proved difficult for drug makers, particularly for cheap generic medicines that offer a slender profit margin.
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France, Span, Germany, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, United States are few out the nations experiencing this shortage.
According to experts, winter in the northern hemisphere has brought a particularly nasty influenza season as well as spikes in other viruses such as RSV, causing the shortage of important antibiotics.
In the short term, national health authorities have recommended that pharmacists and doctors substitute the drugs in short supply with other medications whenever possible, as well as limiting treatment duration while manufacturers including Britain’s GSK have also ramped up production speed.
