Formula shortage not just impacting infants

Families of older children with special medical needs are scrambling to find supplies of formula as well

Families of infants aren't the only ones impacted by the formula shortage, families of children with special medical needs are searching for supplies as well

11-year-old Cash has EoE and relies on a specialty formula to provide most of his nutritional needs Photo credit Photo Courtesy of Broyles Family

By Megan Lynch KMOX Virtual Consumer Editor

O'FALLON, IL (KMOX) - It's not just parents of infants who are searching for formula. Parents of older, medically-fragile, children are desperate to find supplies of formula as well.

"I noticed we were low on his supply. Usually his medical supply company calls every month to set up delivery and they didn't call." Mackenzie Broyles discovered, that's because supplies are running out. "We were in shock, because just like everybody, we thought this was just a baby formula thing."

What's she's learned is that when Abbot halted production of its formulas, many people shifted to the brand and formula that her 11 year old son Cash relies on. Cash has a condition known commonly as EOE. He cannot tolerate most food protein. "He eats potatoes, apples, and rice. Those are his only foods that he can tolerate." Because his case is severe, he relies on the specialty formula for the bulk of his nutritional needs.

They spent the weekend searching for formula only to find that sellers are charging many times more than the original price. In fact, they found some charging four times the regular price. In other cases, Broyles suspects sellers are trying to pass off outdated formula from several years ago.

In the meantime, Cash's specialists are trying alternates. "We don't know that he'll be able to tolerate it. There's no guarantee. There's no guarantee it's not going to run out of stock as well because everyone is scrambling right now." They currently have only a three-week supply on hand.