Amoxicillin, the active ingredient at the base of the best-known antibiotics, continues to be lacking in Italy and in Liguria. The pediatric situation is worrying, while the scientific societies of preparatory and hospital pharmacists publish the “operating instructions” for the production of the same suspension in pharmacies. Unfortunately, however, it is precisely the active ingredient that is missing and for the moment it is not known when it will be available again.
“Even the distributors who should have the active ingredient of amoxicillin cannot currently be found. This ingredient – Augmentin is the best known name – is currently found in pharmacies as well as its generic equivalent, but the real problem is amoxicillin without the clavulanic acid which cures strep in children. The main European industry that made this type of active ingredient has stopped production. We are looking for it on other sites but at the moment, in fact, we cannot find it”, confirms Beppe Castello, president of the Genoese order of pharmacists and Federfarma Genoa to Primocanale.
Castello continues: “The problem is with the pediatric population: amoxicillin without clavulanic acid cannot be found and there is a great difficulty in dosing the active ingredient by taking it from the adult packs. There are also other antibiotics that do not exactly have the same activity but are similar, so the pediatrician or family doctor can possibly give a therapy similar to this one”.
From pharmacists the appeal not to abuse antibiotics for no reason: “Let’s not abuse, misuse. Before using the antibiotic it is best to get tested for strep. This is an indication that for example in France they are already implementing, indeed it is an obligation to avoid the abuse of antibiotics which then creates antibiotic resistance, one of the main current problems”.
“The urgency of specific instruction on amoxicillin – commented Sifo and Sifap, the scientific societies of pharmacists, in a joint note – was understood by us as the lack of an indispensable medicine in some pediatric pathologies puts families in difficulty. Pharmacists are ready to prepare the medicines prescribed by the doctor and our scientific societies can help them in order to have good quality and uniform preparations throughout the national territory”.
Pharmacists can therefore produce this antibiotic: “There was a circular from the Italian companies of hospital pharmacists and preparators on how to prepare this product. But the problem is that it can’t be found. There are pharmacies that already have it and others that don’t. At the moment the companies that should deliver it to us do not have it. With us (in pharmacies, ed) when it arrives it doesn’t arrive in such an abundant way as it can get to the industry”, explains the president of Genoese pharmacists to Primocanale.
Total darkness on when and how the situation will unblock. Castello concludes: “A few days ago I spoke to a multinational that also produces these products and they weren’t able to give me an answer. Unfortunately we don’t know how to give an answer, not even the industry that produces it is in fact able to give it”.