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COVID vaccine costs, amoxicillin shortages
A Waukesha pharmacy is doing what it can to deal with COVID-19 vaccine costs and sporadic amoxicillin shortages.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - As the seasons change and demand for certain medications and vaccinations rise, not getting vaccinated this year could put some independent pharmacies in a bind.
"We’ve been able to catch back up with what we needed," Pharmacist Scott Hoff of Moreland Plaza Pharmacy said.
Hoff said Moreland Plaza Pharmacy has amoxicillin despite it being generally hard to come by. The drug, particularly in its liquid form, is commonly used to treat children with strep throat or earaches.
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"We were able to find ways – whether it be a chewable tablet or, ‘Hey, mom and dad, lets open and sprinkle this capsule,'" Hoff said. "We can make things work."
If a shortage sounds a little familiar, it should; around this time in 2022 FOX6 News warned of an amoxicillin shortage. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first put amoxicillin on its "drug shortage" list back in October 2022.
Amoxicillin
A study published in the journal "Pediatrics" found prescriptions for the drug dropped 91% while amoxicillin has been hard to find. Meanwhile, COVID-19 vaccine deliveries are proving more difficult for Moreland Plaza Pharmacy, an independent provider.
"It just shows up when it shows up," said Hoff.
Hoff said this is the first year the vaccine hasn’t been given to them by the government. It means if a single dose goes unused, it costs the pharmacy $100 out-of-pocket. Hoff said it has made scheduling customers' vaccinations a balancing act.
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"They come in 10 packs, and I can’t crack a box of 10 just to have one used and the other nine go to waste," the pharmacist explained.
Hoff said he does not think the situation is discouraging people from getting vaccinations. Still, he hopes it will be a safe and healthy fall season.
Aurora Health Care told FOX6 its hospitals and clinics are not currently experiencing an amoxicillin shortage.