‘It's frightening’ – LI parents struggle to find baby formula in stores amid national shortage

The baby formula supply problem has been getting worse at stores across the nation and on Long Island.
At pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens on Jericho Turnpike in Mineola, there is very little supply of baby formula on the shelves.
The current shortage has forced many parents of newborns to find new ways to get access.
Danielle Chiprut, of Rockville Center, is a mom to 3-month-old Theo. Like many mothers across the Island, she's had trouble finding her son's formula on the shelves of pharmacies and grocery store chains.
Her solution has been to order online via Amazon, but she says she’s limited to being able to only buy two cartons every two weeks. As Theo grows, so will his need for more formula.
“It's definitely super scary. I've been following it very closely,” Chiprut says. “It's the only way I could feed him, and changing formulas is not an option because they're not out there either, so it's frightening.”
Stores nationwide and on Long Island have been struggling to stock enough baby formula on shelves for months. It's been made even worse by supply chain issues, baby formula recalls and inflation.
Some parents are resorting to relying on samples or getting special prescriptions from their pediatricians.
Pediatrician Dr. Daniel Friedman, of Allied Physicians Group in Floral Park, says even he is limited on giving out samples. He can only give it to children who have severe medical allergies or conditions. He says he's talked to many parents who worry about the limited supply.
“Many of my parents have been forced to go into neighboring states to get their hands on baby formula or even go online to pay exorbitant prices just to feed their babies,” Friedman says
Many "mom groups" on social media are helping each other by picking up specific baby formula for other moms and arranging for pickups and swaps.
Friedman says he hopes the global supply chain gets replenished soon and he's optimistic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.