CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Many pharmacies are dealing with a shortage of medicine that helps children with respiratory viruses. This comes after Mecklenburg County's health department announced Tuesday there's an uptick in flu cases this month.
A Charlotte pharmacy told WCNC Charlotte they are having trouble getting medication like amoxicillin, children's Tylenol, and Ibuprofen. All of these help children with respiratory viruses
Every day, owner and pharmacist Greg Deese with Oakhurst Pharmacy tries to order medications to fill his shelves.
"For the most part, the shortage is more around the suspensions that you mix up -- you add the water to it, you mix up for the kids," Deese said.
He told WCNC Charlotte he's having trouble ordering medication to help treat respiratory viruses, mainly for children.
"Every day I try to order, and I’m hopeful I will get a few pieces in, and I put them on the shelf, and then they are gone within a day," Deese said.
Even when he can get his hands on them, he can't get a lot.
"It will say allocation -- three max or five max," Deese said. "I can't like, load up."
This comes at a time when flu cases continue to surge in Mecklenburg County.
"We are starting to see upticks in flu activity. As you all know, we have been in the higher flu category for quite some time now -- actually the very high flu category as a state," Raynard Washington, Mecklenburg County Health Director, said.
Washington told WCNC Charlotte though hospitals are stressed by flu cases, RSV cases have declined while COVID-19 cases remain steady.
"As we are gathering for the holidays as people are traveling a lot, to take those extra precautions," Washington said.
He's reminding everyone to stay home if they're sick, wash their hands, and take a COVID-19 test before they travel.
Washington also said if you are a family looking for any of these medications, make sure to call pharmacists first before traveling.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.