Pharmacies Experience Shortage Of Cough Syrup With Codeine As Many Fall Ill
ALHAMBRA (CBSLA.com) — Pharmacies across Los Angeles are experiencing a shortage of a cough syrup with codeine as the cold and flu season takes a toll.
CBS2 first learned of the shortage of syrup, which is typically prescribed to treat a persistent cough, from KPIX-TV, a CBS affiliate in the Bay Area.
Calls then placed to local pharmacies, like CVS and Walgreens pharmacy locations, revealed that they too were experiencing a shortage.
"It's certainly very unusual that a generic medication like Phenergan with codeine cough syrup would run out," Paul Abramson, a physician, told CBS2's Brittney Hopper.
"There is not as much an incentive for generic manufacturers to keep large stores of reserves of medications so they're cutting it a lot closer so that, when there is a big surge in demand, things just run out," the doctor added.
Some of the pharmacies told Hopper they weren't expecting another shipment until February.