In the United Kingdom, nine children are reported to have died in a recent outbreak of Strep A, an infection that is typically minor and readily treated with amoxicillin.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay stated that there is a “good supply” of penicillin following a top pharmacist’s warning that “there are no medications.”
Director of pharmacy Zeshan Rehmani criticized the Department of Health for being inefficient “It was deemed “out of touch” after it proposed giving antibiotics to children in schools to prevent diseases such as Strep A, stating, “There are no medications. Today, we have been unable to obtain any penicillin for stock.”
However, Health Secretary Steve Barclay told that he has been assured by medical suppliers that there is a “strong supply” of penicillin, although he conceded that some GPs may experience shortages while stock is relocated.
“I checked with the staff last night – we have a permanent team in the department that handles this – and they told me that we have a sufficient supply.
The medical suppliers are obligated to inform us of any shortages.
“Now, occasionally, GPs will have unique surges if there is a great deal of demand in a certain region. This is pretty common, and we can easily move stock between our depots.
“As of last night, when we verified (with suppliers), they assured us they had adequate supply and were redistributing it to satisfy demand,”
Concerns have been raised that some parents are treating their children with antibiotics that have expired or are no longer effective.
As a result, the chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Thorrun Govind, issued a warning against self-diagnosis and urged parents to consult their doctor instead.
She has cautioned that unused antibiotics must be returned to pharmacists since there is a chance that youngsters will receive the incorrect dosage.
In the United Kingdom, nine children are reported to have died in a recent outbreak of Strep A, an infection that is typically minor and readily treated with amoxicillin.
The incidence of iGAS, an invasive form of bacteria, has grown this year, particularly among children under 10 years old.
The National Pharmacy Association verified an increase in demand for certain antibiotics, notably those used to treat Strep A in youngsters.
A statement said: “These medications are extremely difficult for pharmacies to procure, and some lines are temporarily unavailable.
“We have been informed by wholesalers that the majority of lines will be refilled soon, but we cannot specify when.
“As usual, pharmacists will continue to work with local primary care physicians to ensure clients obtain the medications they require as quickly as possible, which may necessitate a change in prescription.”
Mr. Rehmani, whose pharmacy is located in Manchester, told, “When we hear stories about perhaps administering antibiotics to children in schools, it demonstrates how out of touch the Department of Health is with on-the-ground pharmacy.”
He continued, “Pharmacists across the nation believe we lack sufficient penicillin to fill prescriptions, let alone provide it to schools.”
“No scarcity”
The minister of health, Maria Caulfield, stated that an all-party briefing on Strep A was held for members of parliament, and she rejected the existence of an antibiotic shortage.
She said: “We want to reassure parents that if their children exhibit symptoms and they are hesitant to seek care, GPs, A&E departments, and directors of public health are prepared to enter schools where there are cases.
We want to reassure the public that there is no scarcity of antibiotics, and we are monitoring the situation daily.
Dr. Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA, told that “long-standing guideline” allows health protection teams to review the situation in schools and nurseries to consider antibiotic prophylaxis for “either a group of children in certain classes or an entire nursery school.”
Following the deaths of at least nine children in the United Kingdom, Dr. Brown reaffirmed that there was no evidence that the circulating strains of Strep A had become more severe.
In addition to the susceptibility of children, he suggested that a lack of mixing due to the COVID-19 pandemic was “pushing forward the typical scarlet fever season” to before Christmas.
