Target is the latest pharmacy to restrict the purchase of children’s over-the-counter fever and pain medication amid the devastating ‘tripledemic’ striking the US.
Online purchases of drugs such as Tylenol, Advil and Motrin are limited to just two per transaction on the retail giant’s website. There are no limits on in-store purchases.
The chain now joins two pharmacy giants, CVS and Walgreens, in limiting the purchases of over-the-counter pediatric medication. At CVS, only two boxes of medication can be purchased at a time in-story and online. Walgreens has limited online purchased to six at a time.
These limits come amid a surge in demand for the medication caused by outbreaks of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) erupting across America – mainly striking children. Some online retailers tried to cash in by marking up the medication 30-fold in recent days.
Target will no longer allow the purchase of more than two packages of children’s pain and flu medication online as demand for the drugs surge
Flu cases dropped for the second straight week in the most recent CDC report, with 33,041 confirmed infections. This is a 26 percent drop from previous weeks
RSV cases continued their tumble this week, falling to 3,554 confirmed infections. This is half as many cases as the week prior, and the lowest weekly infection total since mid-September
Demand for fever reducers and pain relievers – especially pediatric varieties – has rocketed just as manufacturers face issues.
These include children’s acetaminophen, sold under the brand name Tylenol across the US, and ibuprofen – sold under the names Advil and Motrin.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents brands that make painkillers, told Bloomberg: ‘[the shortage is a] direct result of the recent and rapid increase in demand driven by a rise in pediatric cases of respiratory illnesses including the flu, COVID, and RSV.’
Both CVS and Walgreens are out-of-stock of Children’s Tylenol online. Several New York City pharmacies checked by DailyMail.com did not have the medicine available for in-store pick-up either.
Some opportunists have attempted to take advantage of these shortages.
Shoppers reported finding an online retailer selling a single box of Infant’s Tylenol for $237.83.
The same medications is available for $8.79 from pharmacies like Walgreens.
Another website, Shop Smart Deals, offered a two-pack of Children’s Tylenol for $35. Two boxes of children’s Tylenol can be purchased individually for $6.99 each from Walgreens.
Both listings have been removed from the store’s offerings.
DailyMail.com found listings for Children’s Tylenol on ebay for $24.99, $19.95 and other prices that far exceed the typical over-the-counter cost for it.
This year, both flu and RSV outbreaks have reached levels the nation had not previously seen in years.
Hospitals in the US have been so overwhelmed by patients – mostly children – that experts have described it as the worst flu season since the 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic.
According to official data, 70 percent of US hospital beds are currently occupied. Earlier this month, the figure reached 80 percent, a high point even for the Covid pandemic.
There is hope the viruses rampage across America will soon run out of steam, though.
In its most recent update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that flu cases had dropped 26 percent week-over-week.
During the week ending on December 17, the nation recorded 33,041 flu cases, down from 40,003 a week earlier.
The flu does not present danger to most Americans, but it can often strike down the elderly, young children and the immunocompromised.
Cases of RSV continued to plummet as well, with a 57 percent drop to 3,554 cases logged by the CDC – a fall from 8,366 a week earlier.
It is the lowest number of confirmed RSV infections in America since late-September.
These are preliminary figures. In future reports, the CDC will likely increase the number of confirmed RSV cases from this week.
Like the flu, RSV does not pose much danger to grown adults, but is especially dangerous to young children.
Officials report that around 300 to 500 children die from the virus yearly.
Covid is starting to rise once again as the annual nuisances fall. The US recorded 66,014 daily infections last week – a figure that has slightly risen in recent weeks..
Deaths are now falling, though, down nine percent to 426 per day.
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