FNQ pharmacist working to reduce a national shortage of whooping cough antibiotic azithromycin

One of the leading compound pharmacists in Far North Queensland is compounding a life-saving drug as a national shortage of the antibiotic treatment for the highly contagious disease continues. Find out more here.

Whooping cough cases are on the increase in Far North Queensland, with Cairns health authorities urging people to make sure they are vaccinated against the respiratory infection. Marlin Coast Amcal Pharmacy compounding pharmacist Gift Phillips formulates whooping cough medicine, but warns that prevention is better than cure. Picture: Brendan Radke

Whooping cough cases are out of control in Far North Queensland, and a national shortage of the drug used to treat the bacterial infection has left both Cairns and Hinterland residents struggling to access medication needed to combat the highly contagious disease.

Since the beginning of the year, a recorded number of 366 cases of whooping cough were recorded in Cairns, compared to less than 50 for the same period in an average year.

With more than 7000 cases recorded state wide, the highest infection rates were among those aged 10 to 19, with 3152 cases, followed by children aged five to nine, who had 1496 cases.

However one of the leading compounding pharmacists in North Queensland, Gift Phillips, is working to address the national shortage through formulating the life saving antibiotic azithromycin.

“Compounding medication is an important practice, we can really personalise the treatment for a patient then make it to order for them,” she said.

Whooping cough cases are on the increase in Far North Queensland, with Cairns health authorities urging people to make sure they are vaccinated against the respiratory infection. Picture: Brendan Radke

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection and spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

The bacteria can impact the lungs and airways, leading to a severe, uncontrollable “whooping” cough, which can make breathing difficult and may result in complications such as pneumonia, brain damage, and in severe cases, death.

Ms Phillips, who works at Smithfield Marlin Coast Amcal Pharmacy, has been a compound pharmacist for almost a decade and said since the start of the surge in whooping cough cases she has filled an average of 10 scripts per week.

“It’s a good thing when you’re compounding prescriptions because when some medications, that are very important are out of stock, we can make them,” she said.

Marlin Coast Amcal Pharmacy formulates whooping cough medicine at their Smithfield chemist. Picture: Brendan Radke

Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president Professor Trent Twomey, said there has been a shortage of azithromycin and clarithromycin, both used to treat whooping cough for “some time” now.

“Pharmacists are doing their best to help patients including by providing alternatives to azithromycin and clarithromycin,” she said.

“However, given the significant increase in whooping cough cases, keeping up with demand continues to be difficult.”

Mr Twomey reminded the community that vaccination was the single best protection against whooping cough infection.

“The good news is vaccination is quick and easy with many community pharmacies across north Queensland now administering whooping cough vaccines,” he said.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service remind parents to be aware of symptoms and ensure vaccinations are up to date. Picture: Supplied.

Smithfield resident Aldo Virzi said without access to a compound pharmacist during an antibiotic national shortage, his eight-year-old son, Cristian Virzi, would have “gotten worse” after being diagnosed with a bacterial lung infection.

“They didn’t have enough stock nationally for a childs dose, so they compounded it there (Smithfield Marlin Coast pharmacy) on the spot for him,” he said.

“If they were unable to make up the medication it could have triggered something else and he would have gotten a lot worse and fast, but we got the exact antibiotic he needed for the infection and he was good about five days later.”

Calls to change the whooping cough vaccine have been strengthened.

Ms Phillips said the contagious yet preventable disease has “come back” because people “misunderstand” the importance of vaccines along with a drop in vaccination rates.

“People misunderstand the vaccine so that is why whooping cough is on the rise, they don’t get vaccinated so it’s easy for it to come back and spread,” she said.

“We’ve got high cases now because people ignore it, we see newborns unvaccinated and kids in daycare where the spread of whooping cough occurs.”

Patients can expect to pay about $30 for a compound formula and between $20-$30 for a pharmacist to fill a script for whooping cough treatment.

“We keep the cost as low as possible for them, with a compound formula it is about $30 for one bottle, some patients may require two bottles for a full treatment,” Ms Phillips said.

Originally published as FNQ pharmacist working to reduce a national shortage of whooping cough antibiotic azithromycin