WUKY | By Josh James

Earns Walgreens

Mark Lennihan/AP / AP Vitamins are displayed in pharmacy Duane Reade by Walgreens, Thursday, March 25, 2021, in New York. Walgreens reports earnings March 31, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Finding the right medications for the host of respiratory illnesses making the rounds might be more of a challenge as supplies dwindle.

With the triple whammy of flu, RSV, and COVID taking a toll right now, particularly on children, some pharmacies are running low or worse when it comes to medications that are in high demand.

The Pharmacy Shop’s Dr. Clarence Sullivan tells WKYT he hasn’t seen shortages like this one in his 40 years in pharmacy.

“The problem with supply is the children’s… in everything. In Tamiflu, in over-the-counter cough drops, to cough syrup, to Tylenol to Ibuprofen. Everything is either running really short or completely out,” Sullivan said of his store.

The Fayette County Health Department reports lab-confirmed cases of the flu — which account for just a fraction of overall cases — currently stand at 1,575 in Lexington, up 276 from last week alone. The county has also recorded 9 deaths from the flu.

The health department says roughly 90% of the cases reported to them are in individuals who have not been vaccinated.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University’s student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.