An Iowa pharmacy has come up with a plan to combat the children’s antibiotic shortages seen across the country, with Sumpter’s Pharmacy in Fair Children’s Tylenol now available on store and drugstore shelves across the country. The pharmacy team is going back to what they call “old school” methods by synthesizing acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol. “The shortage in children is caused by a lack of fluids in Tylenol and ibuprofen,” said Leslie Heron, pharmacist and owner of Sumpire Pharmacy. With empty shelves of her own, Heron says she’s been out of supplies nationwide for six weeks. That’s why pharmacies – like Sumpter’s – had to do what they could to supply children and families in need. The Food and Drug Administration describes compounding as the process that involves combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to produce a drug for an individual patient. At Sumpter Pharmacy, people need to see pharmacists for this process. “What we do is more for sick children or families with sick children,” Heron said. Heron says the expiration date on her team’s formula isn’t as long as commercially manufactured products, but it does the job. That’s a good thing because while RSV and influenza cases seem to have slowed, Heron says she wouldn’t be surprised if cases increased now that kids are back in school. “Before the Christmas holidays, we ran 10-12 rapid strep tests that were positive a day,” Heron said. With the exception of RSV, Sumpter’s Pharmacy treats people on site for flu, bacteria, and more. Heron says they’re doing this so families don’t have to wait as long as they are in urgent care or another healthcare facility. For families who go to health care providers who are told to look for Children’s Tylenol but can’t find it, Herron says to check—because other pharmacies can be complicated, too. “You’ll be better off with something prepared by a professional versus something you try to do at home,” Heron said.
An Iowa pharmacy has come up with a plan to combat antibiotic shortages for children that have been seen across the country.
Sumpter’s Pharmacy just provides Children’s Tylenol which is hard to find on store and drugstore shelves across the country. The pharmacy team is going back to what they call “old school” methods by synthesizing acetaminophen, better known as Tylenol.
“The shortage in children is caused by a lack of fluids in Tylenol and ibuprofen,” said Leslie Heron, pharmacist and owner of Sumpire Pharmacy.
With empty shelves of her own, Heron says she’s been out of supplies nationwide for six weeks.
That’s why pharmacies – like Sumpter’s – had to do what they could to supply children and families in need.
The Food and Drug Administration describes doubles As a process that involves combining, mixing, or altering ingredients to produce a drug for an individual patient. At Sumpter Pharmacy, people need to see pharmacists for this process.
“What we do is more for sick children or families with sick children,” Heron said.
Heron says the expiration date on her team’s formula isn’t as long as commercially manufactured products, but it does the job.
That’s a good thing because while RSV and influenza cases seem to have slowed, Heron says she wouldn’t be surprised if cases increased now that kids are back in school.
“Before the Christmas holidays, we ran 10-12 rapid strep tests that were positive a day,” Heron said.
With the exception of RSV, Sumpter’s Pharmacy treats people on site for flu, bacteria, and more. Heron says they’re doing this so families don’t have to wait as long as they are in urgent care or another healthcare facility.
For families who go to health care providers who are told to look for Children’s Tylenol but can’t find it, Herron says to check — because other pharmacies can be complicated, too.
“You’ll be better off with something prepared by a professional versus something you try at home,” Heron said.