PENNSYLVANIA (WHTM) – It’s the time of the year when we see an increase in RSV, Flu, COVID, and other illnesses including strep throat.

But if your kid gets strep throat this fall or winter you may run into some trouble.

Powdered Amoxicillin, often prescribed for kids has been in short supply since October 2022.

Amoxicillin is still readily available in capsule and tablet form.

“So, if I’m talking about adult patients who don’t have trouble taking pills, it hasn’t quite affected us. Obviously, there are little kids, especially, those who have trouble taking, trouble taking pills. It’s much easier to give them liquid,” said UPMC Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. John Goldman.

But the liquid form can only be made from powder.

So, Goldman says parents may need to get creative.

“It depends on how motivated and creative you want to get, I’ve put a lot of pills over the years and then crush them up and put them in things like applesauce,” said Dr. Goldman.

Dr. Goldman also recommends liquid penicillin.

We reached out to the Food and Drug Administration about the shortage, a spokesperson sent this statement back:

“The FDA recognizes the potential impact that lack of availability of certain products may have on health care providers and patients. While the agency does not manufacture drugs and cannot require a pharmaceutical company to make a drug, make more of a drug, or change the distribution of a drug, the public should rest assured the FDA is working closely with numerous manufacturers and others in the supply chain to understand, mitigate and prevent or reduce the impact of intermittent or reduced availability of certain products.

For amoxicillin powder for oral suspension which went into shortage due to increased demand last fall, the four manufacturers continue to produce, release, and work to fully recover from the shortage. We will continue to keep the website updated with planned recovery dates as the companies provide them and offer assistance on anything the companies need to increase supply. Importantly, while amoxicillin is experiencing intermittent availability, there are other therapeutic alternatives that can be discussed with a health care provider, such as Augmentin, a broader spectrum antibiotic.”