{"id":819316,"date":"2026-07-23T19:43:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/819316\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T19:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T19:43:12","slug":"ventolin-nebules-shortage-out-of-stock-australian-chemists-battle-severe-shortage-of-medicine-used-to-treat-rsv-asthma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/819316\/","title":{"rendered":"Ventolin nebules shortage: \u2018Out of stock\u2019: Australian chemists battle severe shortage of medicine used to treat RSV, asthma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Exclusive: Australians battling asthma<\/a>, bronchitis or a respiratory illness are struggling to get their hands on a popular prescription medication<\/a>, with a global supply crunch predicted to last for years.<\/p>\n

Ventolin nebules, also known as salbutamol sulfate, is used to treat acute breathing difficulties and is severe short supply due to an \u201cunexpected increase in demand\u201d, according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One Sydney mother was turned away from five pharmacies while trying to find ventolin nebules.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

The shortage is expected to last until at least 2028.<\/p>\n

There have already been over 93,000 confirmed cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 56,000 cases of influenza and 54,126 cases of COVID-19 this winter alone \u2013 and now Australian patients with prescriptions are being turned away at pharmacies.<\/p>\n

One Sydney mother told nine.com.au<\/a> that five different chemists were out of stock after her family member was prescribed salbutamol to treat RSV.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter we visited two pharmacies and were told they were out of stock, I decided to get on the phone and call a number in a different area of Sydney,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took three calls before I found one that had them available. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a surprise because I hadn\u2019t heard there would be any difficulties in getting this medicine, but quickly realised there was.\u201d<\/p>\n

There has been limited availability of ventolin nebules in Australia since December, however doctors are still prescribing it to patients with respiratory issues.<\/p>\n

\"Electron<\/p>\n

Electron micrograph of human RSV virions, depicted in blue. \u00a0National Institutes of Health<\/p>\n

Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine Dr Kerry Hancock told nine.com.au<\/a> that GPs can recommend other forms of salbutamol\u00a0if a prescription cannot be fulfilled.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the shortage, which\u00a0the TGA has said\u00a0it expects to last until late 2028, patients using nebulised salbutamol should discuss transitioning to \u2018puffer and spacer\u2019 with their\u00a0GP, or their pharmacist,\u201d Hancock said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout a spacer, up to three-quarters of the medicine never reaches your lungs where it\u2019s needed, but gets stuck in your throat and mouth instead. <\/p>\n

\u201cYour GP can show you how to use a spacer, and\u00a0Asthma Australia has\u00a0a guide, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

RACGP\u2019s chair of child and young person\u2019s health Dr Tim Jones said young children suffering from RSV are unlikely to be impacted by the shortage.<\/p>\n

Only some children respond to asthma treatments like ventolin, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the majority won\u2019t, so a shortage of nebules is not a sign that kids are at risk,\u201d Jones added.<\/p>\n

\"Girl<\/p>\n

Nearly 2.8 million Australians are living with asthma.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

Vencolin nebules is also used to provide relief to asthma patients experiencing bronchospasm, which is the tightening of muscles that line the airways, causing coughing and wheezing.<\/p>\n

One in nine Australians, nearly 2.8 million, are living with asthma.<\/p>\n

Asthma Australia chief executive Kate Miranda said asthma sufferers who cannot get their hands on the medicine should consult their GP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are unable to access your usual medication, speak to your doctor about suitable alternatives or contact Asthma Australia\u2019s Asthma Educators on 1800 ASTHMA for free, personalised support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMedicine shortages can be concerning but with the right advice people can continue to manage their asthma safely and confidently.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Australians battling asthma, bronchitis or a respiratory illness are struggling to get their hands on a popular…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":819317,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-819316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/819317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}