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Lifestyle / Health & Wellness

With Perhaps the Worst Timing Possible, an Amoxicillin Shortage Has Arrived

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Amoxicillin is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of middle ear infection, strep throat, pneumonia, skin infections, and urinary tract infections among others.
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You may have heard about the surge in RSV cases affecting children across the U.S. and filling pediatric hospital beds. Now, making the landscape of health care for children even more precarious is a shortage of one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics: amoxicillin. Pharmacies throughout the U.S. have reported shortages and concern about maintaining ample supplies heading into the winter months is mounting.

Prescribed to treat illnesses including strep throat, ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, and myriad other bacterial infections, amoxicillin has even been limited by suppliers to some pharmacies. Three main manufacturers of the antibiotic — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., based in Israel; London-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals; and Sandoz, headquartered in Switzerland — have reported shortages but not the reasons for them, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, which maintains a drug shortage database. A fourth supplier, Aurobindo, based in India, “refuses to provide availability information,” according to the advocacy organization’s website.

Amoxicillin is prescribed to treat bacterial infections, so it’s not used as a treatment for RSV, COVID-19, or seasonal flu infections, making the cause behind the dwindling supply unclear. And, as with most issues with an unidentified cause, how long the shortage will last is difficult to predict.

Gallery: Toilet Paper, Hot Sauce, and Other Pandemic-Era Shortages

Affected products include capsules, chewable tablets, and amoxicillin powder, which is used to create a liquid dose for children. The Food and Drug Administration hasn’t issued an official shortage announcement, and the shortage isn’t widespread, according to CVS, the nation’s largest drugstore chain. “A few stores have seen isolated supplier product shortages of certain doses of the medication,” CVS Health spokesperson Matt Blanchette told NBC News. “We’re working with manufacturers to replenish supply as quickly as possible.”

Meet the Writer


Rachel Schneider

Rachel is a Michigan-based writer who has dabbled in a variety of subject matter throughout her career. As a mom of multiple young children, she tries to maintain a sustainable lifestyle for her family. She grows vegetables in her garden, gets her meat in bulk from local farmers, and cans fruits and vegetables with friends. Her kids have plenty of hand-me-downs in their closets, but her husband jokes that before long, they might need to invest in a new driveway thanks to the frequent visits from delivery trucks dropping off online purchases (she can’t pass up a good deal, after all). You can reach her at [email protected].

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