CHINO VALLEY, AZ — A shortage of antiviral and antibiotic medication continues to complicate an already difficult virus season.
Among those impacted is a mother of two who lives in Chino Valley.
“It’s so stressful right now,” said Lexis Maclean who has a two-year-old girl, and a three-month-old boy.
Her baby boy is still recovering from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
“We spent four days in the hospital with our son on oxygen,” she added.
When he was discharged, the doctor gave Maclean a prescription and one pharmacist said they were out of it.
“Oh my God. What am I going to do now? Like, what if I can’t get this medication,” Maclean told ABC15.
So, she called multiple stores and spent hours finding a pharmacy that had it.
“Before you know it, you’ve literally spent your entire day just simply trying to get medication for your sick child,” she said.
Maclean is just happy she was able to get her little one the medication he needed, given even over-the-counter meds are going fast.
“I couldn’t even find Mucinex the other day.” she added.
We walked through several isles in drug stores across the Valley, where there should be plenty of over-the-counter medication to treat common illnesses like the flu and sore throats.
Yet, most shelves looked empty.
“The timing is just a little bit early,” said Dr. Janice Johnston, Chief Medical Officer at Redirect Health.
Dr. Johnston says this is due to the increase in viral illnesses, including COVID-19.
“So generally, with the flu and RSV we might see it at about, you know, a month or so from now. And so, the suppliers weren’t quite ready for that demand,” Dr. Johnston told ABC15.
She says it’s important patients talk to their doctor and pharmacist about what the best next step is if they are in need of medication, and, “An antibiotic is not appropriate for a viral infection and vice vera, so it’s really important to know the difference,” said Dr. Johnston.
Maclean hopes medications are restocked soon, but in the meantime, she'll be helping other moms who find themselves where she once was.
“There are outlets and it’s okay to ask for help,” said Maclean.
