Health Canada secures foreign supply of children’s medication amid shortage

Health Canada has announced that foreign supply of children’s acetaminophen will soon be for sale at retail and community pharmacies in the next coming weeks amid a shortage.

The government agency is urging parents to only buy what they need so that all parents and caregivers can access medication for sick children.

A statement said each proposal received from a company to import foreign authorized product undergoes a careful review by Health Canada to confirm that “the product was manufactured according to the same high-quality standards the people of Canada expect.”

They are also ensuring all information related to warnings, dosing, ingredients, and other important details will be available in English and French.

Health Canada recently approved the import of ibuprofen and acetaminophen from the U.S. and Australia, but only for use in hospitals. Distribution has already begun.

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Liquid Tylenol and other medications have been in short supply since the summer due to the unprecedented demand for infant and children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen products.

The shortage has been ongoing for months, and pharmacists have been calling on the federal government to provide more measures to address it.

Some pharmacists have even been forced to make the liquid form of children’s pain relievers from raw ingredients.

Pharmacist Kyro Maseh tells CityNews it’s been hard to witness as desperate parents come in or call every 15 minutes looking for the product.

“It’s extremely heartbreaking when I have a parent and can hear the child screaming in the back over the phone,” Maseh said. “It tears my heart apart.”

Health Canada said they are still working with manufacturers and distributors along with children’s hospitals, the province and pharmacist associations to identify and implement additional measures to alleviate the shortage.

“Health Canada’s top priority is the health and safety of Canadians, and we are committed to exploring every possible option to end this shortage,” they said in a statement.

More information on the shortage and what to do if you can’t find medicine can be found on Health Canada’s website.

With files from Tina Yazdani