BECKLEY --  With the H1N1 virus affecting primarily children, a problem has come up with Tamiflu, the medication used to treat those who are sickened by the virus. The supply that’s left of Tamiflu isn’t meant for small children.

The syrup form of Tamiflu has officially run out. Roach, the company that manufacturers the medicine, doesn’t expect to have any more available until December.

The government has already released its stockpile of Tamiflu, yet the shortage remains. President Obama even declared the shortage a national emergency.

That’s caused the CDC to issue guidelines to pharmacies on how to compound adult tablets into a liquid form for children. According to Colony Drug Pharmacist Patty Johnston, it shows how important the need for the medicine is.

“Usually anything made by a manufacturer isn’t allowed to be compounded,” says Johnston.

Her pharmacy is among those that are compounding their own Tamiflu for children. She says restrictions are generally put in place for anything that a big manufacturer makes.

While there have been a few reports of issues regarding dosages of the in-house compounded mixture, Johnston says her pharmacy hasn’t seen those problems. In fact, she points out that this is what pharmacists go to school for: in the past all medicines were compounded in pharmacy labs.

“This is really just taking an old trick and making it applicable to new immediate needs,” says Johnston.