Your Patient Needs Augmentin—And Their Pharmacy Is Out

You've diagnosed an acute bacterial sinusitis, a complicated otitis media, or a bite wound. Augmentin (Amoxicillin/Clavulanate) is the right call. But increasingly, the prescription you send doesn't get filled—not because of insurance, but because the pharmacy simply doesn't have it.

The Augmentin shortage that began in 2022 continues into 2026, and patients are looking to their prescribers for help. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step approach to helping patients find Augmentin or an effective alternative.

Current Availability Overview

As of early 2026, availability varies significantly by formulation:

• Tablets (875/125 mg, 500/125 mg): Most available. Spot shortages during peak respiratory season, but generally findable with some effort.
• Extended-release tablets (1000/62.5 mg): Limited. Dr. Reddy's and select generic manufacturers supply intermittently.
• Oral suspensions: Most severely affected. Multiple strengths remain on ASHP's back-order list. Teva and other manufacturers have repeatedly pushed back estimated release dates.
• ES-600 suspension: Severely limited nationwide.
• Chewable tablets: Intermittently available; worth checking as a pediatric option.

Why Patients Can't Find It

Understanding the patient experience helps frame your response:

• Chain pharmacies run out first: High-volume locations deplete stock quickly during demand surges
• Patients don't know about independent pharmacies: Many patients only think to check CVS, Walgreens, or their grocery store pharmacy
• Liquid forms are the biggest gap: Parents of young children are hit hardest—their child can't swallow tablets, and liquid Augmentin is the scarcest formulation
• Patients hesitate to call their doctor back: Many assume "if the pharmacy doesn't have it, I just have to wait"

What Providers Can Do: 5 Steps

Step 1: Check Availability Before Prescribing

When possible, verify that the formulation you're prescribing is available before the patient leaves. Medfinder for Providers lets you check pharmacy stock by location in real time. A 30-second check can prevent a frustrating runaround for your patient.

If your front desk or nursing staff handles prescription logistics, consider integrating a quick availability check into the workflow.

Step 2: Prescribe the Most Available Formulation

For adults, the 875/125 mg tablet is the most consistently available formulation. For patients who need an alternative:

• 500/125 mg tablets (q8h): Usually available; requires three-times-daily dosing but is therapeutically equivalent
• Augmentin XR (1000/62.5 mg q12h): Limited but worth checking for respiratory infections and sinusitis in adults

Important reminder: Two 250/125 mg tablets are NOT equivalent to one 500/125 mg tablet. Both contain 125 mg clavulanate—doubling the tablets doubles the clavulanate dose, leading to increased GI side effects.

Step 3: Direct Patients to Stock-Finding Tools

Empower patients to find available stock on their own. Recommend:

• Medfinder: Real-time pharmacy stock checking by location
• Independent pharmacies in your area that you know carry antibiotics
• Hospital outpatient pharmacies, which may have different supply chains

Consider printing or saving a brief handout with these resources to give patients when you prescribe Augmentin.

Step 4: Have a Plan B Ready

Before the patient leaves, discuss what to do if they can't find Augmentin:

• "If you can't find this at any pharmacy, call us back and we'll send a different antibiotic."
• Document your preferred alternative in the chart so the callback is quick
• For common indications, your Plan B might be:
  • Sinusitis: Doxycycline 100 mg BID or Levofloxacin 500 mg daily
  • Otitis media: Cefdinir 300 mg BID or Cefuroxime 500 mg BID
  • Skin/soft tissue: Cephalexin 500 mg QID or Clindamycin 300 mg TID
  • Bite wounds: Doxycycline 100 mg BID + Metronidazole 500 mg TID

For a full discussion of alternatives, see Alternatives to Augmentin.

Step 5: Consider Compounding for Pediatric Patients

For children who need liquid Augmentin and can't find it:

• Identify compounding pharmacies in your area that can prepare Amoxicillin/Clavulanate suspensions from raw ingredients or crushed tablets
• Verify the compounding pharmacy's dosing accuracy and beyond-use dating
• If compounding isn't available, Cefdinir suspension is often the most accessible alternative for pediatric patients

Therapeutic Alternatives at a Glance

Quick reference for common Augmentin indications and alternatives:

• Acute bacterial sinusitis: High-dose Amoxicillin (if no beta-lactamase concern), Doxycycline, Levofloxacin
• Acute otitis media: Cefdinir, Cefuroxime, Azithromycin, IM Ceftriaxone (for treatment failure)
• Community-acquired pneumonia: Doxycycline, Azithromycin, Levofloxacin
• Lower respiratory infection/bronchitis: Most acute bronchitis is viral and doesn't require antibiotics. If bacterial, consider Doxycycline or Azithromycin.
• UTI: Nitrofurantoin, TMP-SMX, Ciprofloxacin (based on local susceptibilities)
• Animal/human bite wounds: Doxycycline + Metronidazole, or Moxifloxacin
• Diabetic foot infection: Levofloxacin, Cephalexin + Metronidazole, or consider ID consultation for complex cases

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

• Build a shortage protocol: Create a simple flowchart your staff can follow when a patient calls back saying their Augmentin wasn't available
• Maintain a local pharmacy list: Keep a running list of 3–5 independent or specialty pharmacies in your area that tend to have antibiotic stock
• Use e-prescribing notes: Add a note to the prescription: "If unavailable, please contact prescriber for alternative" to prompt pharmacy follow-up
• Bookmark Medfinder: Save medfinder.com/providers as a quick-access resource for your team
• Educate patients proactively: Direct patients to Medfinder's patient guide so they know what to do if their pharmacy is out of stock

Final Thoughts

The Augmentin shortage adds an extra layer of complexity to what should be a straightforward prescribing decision. By building availability checks into your workflow, prescribing the most available formulations, preparing therapeutic alternatives in advance, and directing patients to tools like Medfinder, you can minimize the impact on patient care.

For a broader overview of the shortage timeline and clinical implications, see our provider briefing on the Augmentin shortage.