Charlotte pharmacist strategizing to keep Tamiflu in stock amidst shortage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Emergency rooms across the Carolinas continue to be full of patients with the flu and RSV.

The latest North Carolina data shows cases peaked earlier this month and started to decline, but the numbers are still high.

Local pharmacists are also struggling to keep up with demand for prescriptions including Tamiflu.

Pharmacist Greg Deese, the owner Oakhurst Pharmacy in east Charlotte, is spending a lot of time on the phone.

“We’ve had multiple cases where someone calls and says I’ve called five drug stores, I’ve called six drug stores, and what can I do?” Deese told WBTV.

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Deese has been strategizing to keep it on the shelves.

“What happens is the whole saler is getting it in stock, it stays there for an hour or so, then it’s gone,” he said. “My goal is to shop multiple times a day and catch it while it’s in stock and then I grab it.”

When it’s backordered, he still requests it.

Deese is also seeing demand for flu and Covid booster shots.

“There’s no reason not to get a flu shot,” customer Tim Berg said. “You really need to for sure.”

Deese says he should have ordered more flu vaccine earlier in the season.

“I needed to double my order, I probably increased 20 percent, but I needed to double it,” he said. “I am ordering flu vaccine every week. Normally the ordering process tails off in November, but it’s going strong right now.”

With more holiday gatherings ahead of us, Deese is ready for more of the same.

“We always have that bump in illness after holidays, but I expect even more this season due to flu and RSV virus,” he said.

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