In the middle of a rising wave of strep cases and an ongoing nationwide shortage of amoxicillin that normally treats it, a Wisconsin pharmacist is finding ways to make ends meet, ABC News affiliate WKOW reported April 12.
Amoxicillin is commonly used to treat strep infections, but the drug's shortage continues and resupply dates in many instances have been pushed back, yet again, creating a difficult situation for practitioners to navigate.
Matt Huppert, PharmD, at Fitchburg (Wis.) Family Pharmacy, told the news outlet he believes he has found a workaround solution in the interim as strep cases have risen in the state: by offering patients who need it lower dosages of the antibiotics in higher quantities.
"What we've done here to kind of combat this is order this medication from quite a few different wholesalers, and also order in different concentrations, like the 250 milligrams per five, or even the 120 milligrams per five," Dr. Huppert told WKOW.
While amoxicillin is the most common antibiotic used to treat strep, Dr. Huppert also noted that switching to a different antibiotic is an option if it becomes completely unavailable at any point.
In March, several major pharmaceutical giants who provide amoxicillin to pharmacies had not listed reasons for the shortages, but some did note that more may become available in late April.