HARTFORD, Conn. — Earlier this week pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced an impending shortage of an injectable antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections, and sexually transmitted infections.
Bicillin or also known as penicillin g is an injectable antibiotic that is injected into the muscle and absorbed by the body over time. “It's a long version of a penicillin,” said Dr. Paul Anthony, Assistant Director of infectious diseases at Hartford Health Care. “So penicillin, otherwise you would have to take it several times a day. So, this one gives doctors the advantage of giving people one dose."
The drug is most commonly used to treat cases of Syphilis along with certain bacterial infections and respiratory viruses. Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an increase in Syphilis cases year over year since 2020 putting a strain on drug manufacturers.
Local doctors are preparing for the shortage so there is minimal impact on patients by turning to alternative treatments.
“In pregnant women, for example, there's not a lot of good alternatives if they have syphilis. As you can imagine, it's a problem because we do not want their the pregnant one passing on syphilis to their unborn child. So it's really trying to preserve some of that medicine for that specific populations,” said Anthony.
Physicians reassure patients that just because an alternative treatment is used does not mean it is less effective. “It’s a preferred treatment and then there are other things we can use, but it's still an effective therapy,” said Anthony.
Pfizer expects supplies to recover by June 2024.
Jake Garcia is a multimedia journalist for FOX61 News. He can be reached at jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.