NPR: Pfizer Reveals Potential Penicillin Shortage Expected to Last Until 2024

Pfizer is currently grappling with a shortage of penicillin due to a surge in demand and an increase in syphilis diagnoses, according to a recent letter sent to its customers.

The pharmaceutical company has identified an “impending stock out situation” for select Bicillin L-A and Bicillin C-R prefilled syringes, which are Pfizer’s brand of injectable penicillin.

There is a projected shortage of Bicillin L-A pediatric syringes by the end of June, and all Bicillin C-R syringes may start becoming scarce in the third quarter of this year.

Pfizer anticipates a gradual recovery in inventory during the second and third quarters of 2024.

Penicillin is an antibiotic commonly used to treat various infections, including sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis and respiratory conditions such as pneumonia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a steady increase in syphilis rates since 2001, with a 28.6% surge from 2020 to 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to this rise due to disruptions in treatment and prevention efforts.

This scarcity of penicillin is occurring alongside a chronic shortage of prescription drugs in the United States, primarily caused by supply chain disruptions, including the recent pandemic, as noted by Marta Wosińska, a visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution, in an earlier NPR interview.Follow Google News

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