Amid shortage, Walgreens compounds Tamiflu

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens said its pharmacies are prepared to compound Tamiflu capsules into liquid form after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported widespread flu activity in the United States.

The drug store chain said it is addressing the demand for liquid Tamiflu for children, which has resulted in a shortage of the flu-fighting drug.

“These are the highest levels of flu activity health officials have seen this season,” said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens president of pharmacy services. “For people who get sick and who are prescribed an antiviral drug like Tamiflu, it’s best if started within the first 48 hours. With the shortage of liquid Tamiflu for children, we’ve taken proactive measures to ensure our pharmacists can compound these prescriptions, and many have already begun doing so. In addition, we continue to offer flu shots at all of our stores and Take Care Clinics every day.”

The CDC recently disclosed that 44 states have reported flu activity.

All Walgreens and Take Care Clinics continue to offer flu shots daily with no appointment necessary, the drug store chain said.