What's with the Prilosec OTC shortage?

[DemoTex]

Every store and drug store in my town is out of Proctor & Gamble's Prilosec OTC. The pharmacist tells me it is a nationwide shortage. Prilosec is the best drug for my Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). However, I took my last one this morning. I guess I'll go back to Zantac until P&G gets its shit together.

[Jon8503]

1. Don't know about where you are but in Kansas City, the Sams

Club stores just got it in. You might check Sams out where you are.

[benburch]

2. You did read the label warnings, right?

You are not supposed to be on Prilosec for more than a few weeks.

If you want an effective H+ blocker that you can take long term, ask your doctor to consider Nexium. Works for me.

[Warpy]

7. Prilosec is approved for long term use

I've been on the stuff for five years, first Canadian and now OTC. Don't believe everything you hear about it. The warning is on the OTC packaging because people with ordinary chronic indigestion really don't need to be on it long term. People with severe GERD or a history of gastric ulcers do.

[DemoTex]

9. Not quite correct in all cases ...

My internist prescribed Prilosec OTC for me to take daily. The reason for the staggered dosing on the package was to allow Prilosec to get the OTC (over-the-counter) rating.

[DrWeird]

3. Looks like demand has out-paced supply.

Apparently demand was much higher then expected.

Manufactuing pharmaceuticals isn't easy.

[LisaM]

4. It's their annoying ad - they play if all day long during college football

I guess the beer and nacho crowd is paying attention. I had to suffer through that horrible ad at least 50 times over the weekend. They play the ad, have a brief ad (which is always the Old Spice 'yeah. You do smell good' ad) , then play it again (this is the one where the obnoxious Prilosec couple is in an internet cafe and everyone starts emailing them.)

[medeak]

5. prevacid is great

geesh..maybe we need a poll of how many DU'ers have acid reflux? Election year?

[Maiden England]

6. sales ploy

They lost the patent to omeprazole a while back and until now have successfully been stalling the release of generic forms on the market. They are running out of stalling tactics, so they are manipulating the market to see if they can get new customers hooked on their ridiculously expensive and highly ineffective replacement, Nexium, which is Rx only. Which no matter what you read (unless its the clinical study itself, in which case you'd already know!), is no more effective than omeprazole ever was at either treatment of GERD or healing the esophagus.

[FlemingsGhost]

8. Excuse my intrusion, but have you tried accupuncture?

A good accupuncturist/herbalist can help, and should get you off pharms all together.

[DemoTex]

10. Can't take the chance.

Last year my 83 year old dad had an esphagectomy for cancer of the esophagus. It is one of the worst surgeries one can have (the esophagus is removed and the stomach is pulled up into the chest cavity and sutured to the lower throat). His older brother died of esophageal cancer in the 1960s. Acid reflux is rampant in my dad's family. Because of the family history, I take what works best for me (Prilosec) and have yearly endoscopies.