LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A local pharmacy is grappling with a supply shortage of kid’s medicine that is affecting many pharmacies across America.

The owner of Kavanaugh Pharmacy Anne Pace said they have been dealing with this shortage for months because of the demand for children’s medication at a time when flu, cold and RSV cases are at a high.

“I have no children’s ibuprofen or Tylenol because we haven’t been able to get it,” Pace said.

Pace said the problem is also extending to over-the-counter medication for children.

“The prescription medicines I feel like a good part of my day, at the end of the day when I’m trying to place an order, is what’s in stock and how can I make that work,” Pace said.

Pace said they created a board with all the shortages of child’s medication which includes Amoxicillin, Cefdinir, liquid Ibuprofen, liquid Tylenol, Cipro eye drops, ciclopirox, Concerta, and Adderall.

“Every day it’s almost a new medication that we can’t get,” Pace said. “If we can’t find the liquid formulation, we have been able to keep in stock some of the suppositories which is not certainly preferred for most children but feeling bad that’s another option there are some powder pockets for older kids.”

Pace said this issue of ordering medicine for children is not just in Arkansas.

“There’s only 3 main wholesalers in the country and everyone is having the same issue,” Pace said.

She believes the problem is rooted in the pandemic.

“I think it’s very much supply and demand and the last 2 years with covid we haven’t needed a lot of these because we haven’t seen those upper respiratory infections,” Pace said.

However, Pace said now with cases of a respiratory virus in children being high she believes manufacturers are having a hard time keeping up with demand.

“We have a lot of flu going on right now, we have lots of respiratory infections, RSV is really prevalent in kids and so it’s kind of a perfect storm,” Pace said.

Paces said her pharmacy works with doctors to try to provide their customers with their medication or offer alternatives. For parents thinking of using an at-home remedy, she suggests talking with your pharmacist or pediatrician beforehand.