Panic buying sparks national shortages of children's medication

Chronic medicine shortages are likely to last for weeks, after panic buyers stripped the nation's chemist shelves of medications like children's Panadol, Nurofen and asthma medicines just as the cold and flu season begins.

The shortages have sparked fears young children could wind up in emergency departments, creating further burdens on a health system that is already coping with coronavirus pandemic.

Panic buyers have sparked a widespread shortage of children's Panadol.

The Australian Medical Association's ethics and medico-legal committee chair, South Australian GP Chris Moy, said the children's Panadol shortage was of particular concern, given the drug's usefulness in reducing fevers in very young children.

Associate Professor Steven Tong, an infectious-disease physician at the Peter Doherty Institute, agreed that paracetamol was a highly effective tool for temperature management.

Some major pharmacy chains have been mass-buying medication and medical supplies like masks, leading to smaller independent and rural pharmacies being deprived of drugs including asthma medication and childrens' Panadol.

Large pharmacy companies, as well as pharmaceutical wholesalers, have been warned against large-scale buying.

Concerned about chronic shortages in chemists across the country, a body directed by the federal Health Department has directed wholesalers to immediately stop selling bulk amounts to pharmacy chains, with the potential for financial penalties if wholesalers don't comply.

All major wholesalers have now placed restrictions on order quantities. One of the largest wholesalers in the country, Symbion, has placed limits on dozens of over the counter and PBS drugs, including popular drug Nexium and painkillers like Panadol.

A spokesman for the Community Service Obligation Administration Agency – an independent entity that reports to the Department – said the agency this week told wholesalers not to sell to pharmacies ordering far in excess of their usual order.

The Health Department confirmed it was working to "ensure equitable and responsible supply of medicines to pharmacies."

But Chemist Warehouse group director Mario Tascone said pharmacies were simply trying to fulfil customer demand.

"We're buying what we need for our patients – I have no magic warehouse full of Panadol, I wish I did," he said.

On the weekend Victoria's chief medical officer, Brett Sutton, said in a media report that people should have 60 days' worth of medications at home. Mr Tascone said this had spurred panic among customers, and urged people to buy only what they need.

"If everyone just buys what they need, we're going to have no problem."

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said it would take up to two weeks for normal stock levels to return to shelves, warning "some pharmacies" against stockpiling and urging consumers not to buy more than they need.

Rural pharmacies have been badly hit by the run on medication, with many pharmacies across regional Australia running low on antibiotics, and diabetes and blood pressure drugs, according to the peak body for rural pharmacies.

The Rural Pharmacy Network Australia is calling for an independent investigation into what spokeswoman Dr Katie Stott called a "mass-buying event" where major chains ordered up to seven times their usual amount of stock.

Dr Stott said the lack of stock would hurt people in rural areas, where there are generally higher rates of chronic disease, lower income levels and a reduced ability to travel to other outlets to find stock.

"Our members are concerned there may have been mass-buying by a big pharmacy operator, triggering other big companies to do the same," Dr Stott said. "We want to know exactly what's happened and assurances that it won't happen again."

Chemist Direct and Pharmacy Online declined to comment on the shortages. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald also sought comment from Terry White Chemmart, and Amcal.

The Australian Medical Association, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and others have implored people to stop stockpiling food and other goods.

Seasonal colds and viruses are starting to hit childcare centres and schools, just as panic over the coronavirus pandemic has led to people stockpiling medications.

Parents have reported driving to seven or more pharmacies in desperate attempts to secure medication for sick children.

The Pharmacy Guild's national president George Tambassis said pharmacists had "professional and legal responsibilities" to ensure prescription medications were dispensed appropriately and safely.

He said the association had been told of anecdotal reports of customers trying to "stock-up" on prescription and over-the-counter medicines because of fears the onset of COVID-19 might lead to medicine shortages in Australia. He urged people to buy medications as they usually would.

Melbourne woman Isy Orderberg spent a frantic day trying to find Panadol for her five and a half month old infant, who was teething and spiking a fever.

"We haven't been panic buying, we haven't been hoarding, but that was my moment of panic – where I couldn't find some anywhere," she said.

Ms Oderberg was able to secure medicine for her daughter through a friend, but said: "it shouldn't come to this".

"I hope people just start to calm down."