What if I can’t find children’s Tylenol, Advil or Motrin? A UNC pharmacist’s advice

Children’s ibuprofen (such as Motrin and Advil) and acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) are in short supply.

Parents who rely on those drugs to help treat fevers, coughs, headaches and other flu-like symptoms are struggling to find the medication their children need amid the “tripledemic” — winter’s COVID, influenza and RSV outbreaks.

The News & Observer spoke with Kate Naper, pharmacy manager of the UNC Health Carolina Care Pharmacy Network and Transitions of Care Services, to learn what’s going on and how to safely treat sick children during a medication shortage this winter.

Where can I buy children’s medicine?

Most people flock to the traditional big outlets to get their over-the-counter medications: Walmart, Target, CVS, Rite Aid or their local supermarket. These places will likely run out the quickest.

Online options, like Amazon, estimate a few days or weeks before they’ll have the product to ship. This isn’t helpful if your child has symptoms now.

If your search is coming up short, here’s what Naper recommends:

• Go to a neighborhood pharmacy: The small, local stores might have different suppliers and products available on hand.

• Talk to the pharmacist: Go somewhere with a pharmacist available to chat. Some places may be keeping it behind the pharmacy counter so more families can have it.

• Try store-brand or generic versions: These acetaminophen or ibuprofen products have the same active ingredient, are very effective and may be more readily available.

Pharmacists can help recommend a substitute if you can’t find your usual medication. That’s another reason you should be sure to visit a store with a pharmacist available.

If you can’t find the right medication, do not do these things

It’s tempting to use the medicine you have on hand or get an available product when you can’t find what you need. But it can be dangerous.

Important: Before doing any of these things, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to learn about available substitutions that might work for your child if you can’t find children’s Tylenol, Advil or Motrin.

Here’s what Naper said you should avoid doing during the shortage:

• Don’t use adult medicine: If you can’t find children’s Tylenol, Motrin or Advil, don’t reach for the adult bottle. Most young children’s bodies aren’t ready to handle adult doses of the medicine they need.

“Children aren’t just little adults. They have different ways their bodies process medicine,” Naper said.

• Don’t give baby aspirin: It’s a common misconception that baby aspirin is a children’s version of the fever-reducing, pain-relieving drug, Naper said. Baby aspirin refers to the smaller dosage of the adult medication. Children’s bodies should not have any form of aspirin.

• Don’t give the same dose of a different product: 5 ml of acetaminophen doesn’t equal 5 ml of ibuprofen. If you have a different product on hand than the one your doctor recommended, make sure you’re certain of the right dosage to give to your child. A pharmacist or your doctor can help.

• Don’t use combination products: Many cold and flu medications available are combination products, meaning they contain several medicines to treat multiple symptoms — a cough, a fever and congestion, for example. But if your child only has a fever, don’t give them medication to treat all three symptoms, Naper said.

• Don’t double up on products: If your child does need a combination product (one that would treat nasal congestion, a fever and a cough, for example), the medication may already have acetaminophen or ibuprofen in it. Don’t give your child additional acetaminophen or ibuprofen without checking with your doctor or pharmacist.

• Don’t give expired medicine: Check the expiration date on your products at home before administering them.

• Don’t resort to cold compresses, cold baths: These aren’t as effective, Naper said.

Why is there an Advil, Tylenol, Motrin shortage?

The COVID, influenza and RSV trio this winter means lots of people need medication at the same time.

But the shortages aren’t everywhere. While some parents are having difficulty getting the right medication for their sick children, others may be able to find it seamlessly and without restriction at their neighborhood pharmacy or supermarket.

The issue is an unusually high demand straining the regular supply: “We’re heavy on the demand, and we’re seeing a high use of over-the-counter medications to treat routine coughs and colds,” Naper said. “It’s a challenge to source products from different distributors.”

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