Chattanooga pharmacies experiencing Tamiflu shortage, forced to compound
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A shortage of Tamiflu - that is what's testing parents' patience as they try to help their sick kids.
So far, this flu season is responsible for the deaths of at least 53 children.
Because of the shortage, many pharmacies are now changing up the capsule form of Tamiflu so children can take it.
Many parents have gone to their local pharmacy with the Tamiflu prescription only to learn that the pharmacy is out of stock.
Cassi Towe says she experienced it when her 2-year-old son, Brooks, tested positive with the flu.
"He started just getting really tired, kind of fussy and I didn't really think anything about it," Towe said.
Doctors wrote Brooks a prescription for Tamiflu, the liquid kind, made just for children.
Something Cassi soon realized was hard to come by.
"She said if you're calling Walgreens - just don't even worry about it because they don't have it. I was like oh my gosh, because it was 11 o'clock at that point and I had no where else to go," Towe added.
At Access Pharmacy in Hixson, pharmacists say they've been dealing with a Tamiflu shortage since the beginning of December.
"Most of the pharmacies we've talked to around town are not able to get the suspension right now for the children," said Jordan Morrison, Pharmacist.
So Access, and other local compounding pharmacies, are having to open up the Tamiflu capsules and turn them into liquid.
"You wanna make sure that you just get it mixed-up nice and make a good paste," Morrison said. "This is definitely one of the busier flu seasons we've had in probably like the last five years or so."
Cassi eventually found the liquid Tamiflu for her son, after 12 hours of searching. She just hopes she doesn't have to deal with anything like this ever again.
"If you can get it, it works really quick," Towe said.
Cassi tells us Brooks is doing much better now.
We asked CVS and Walgreens if they were experiencing shortages.
Both corporate offices sent statements saying they had an adequate supply of the anti-viral drug, even though the mom we talked to say that's not the case.
