Yachties left feeling queasy

By KEITH PERRY

America's Cup fans are finding the action on the water hard to stomach because chemists have run out of their favourite seasickness pills.

Pharmacies throughout Auckland are facing angry scenes after supplies of Sea Legs anti-nausea pills dried up - leaving yachties and fans feeling distinctly queasy.

Increased demand from yachting fans has seen customers gobble their way through around 250,000 seasickness pills a month.

A production problem at the company's British plant meant stocks ran out in January and the distributors, Boots Healthcare New Zealand, do not expect to have fresh supplies until the beginning of next month.

Many customers say other pills do not work as effectively and are besieging chemist shops in their hunt for the $8-a-packet drug.

Louise Mann, an assistant at Chris Darvell Amcal Chemist in Ponsonby, said: "We've been told Sea Legs are out of stock until March. We are having to offer people alternatives but they are not very happy as it's a very popular brand."

Robert McCabe, product manager for Boots Healthcare NZ, described the seasick pill shortage as a nightmare, saying they were being swamped by calls from desperate pharmacists.