New Foreign Shipments of Children’s Medications Secured
With flu season upon us and COVID-19 making a resurgence, respiratory illnesses are making our community sick and straining our hospitals.
Parents have shared with me their concerns over ongoing shortages of Tylenol, Advil, and children’s cold medications. As a mom, I sympathize with their concerns and I know nothing is more important than keeping our kids healthy.
I have obtained the following update on the shortage situation from the Ministry of Health:
Last month, Canada imported supplies of ibuprofen from the United States and acetaminophen from Australia, to supply hospitals across Canada. Distribution of these medications to hospitals is underway.
Health Canada has waived bilingual labelling rules and other requirements to facilitate importation of these medications from the U.S. and Australia.
This week, we have obtained foreign shipments of months’ worth of children’s cold medications to relieve the ongoing shortages. This medication will be available for sale at retail and community pharmacies as soon as posssible—within the coming weeks. The Ministry of Health is expecting more delivers over the next few weeks.
Canada is also increasing domestic production of children’s cold medications by 30% to meet demand. Manufacturers are aware of the urgent need to produce these medications.
All imported medications are reviewed to ensure they meet Canadian safety standards. All information related to cautions and warnings, dosing directions, ingredients, and other important details will be made available in both English and French to ensure parents and caregivers clearly understand what medication they are using and how to give to their children
Parents: in the meantime, if you cannot find infant or children’s fever and pain medication that you need, you can speak to your pharmacist about available alternatives.
I will continue to update my website to inform parents of any new medications being delivered to Ottawa pharmacies and stores.
Please note the following important safety considerations from Health Canada and Canadian pediatricians:
Do not use adult fever and pain medications on children under 12 years of age unless you consult with a health care professional.
If your child has a fever, try to keep the child comfortable, use cold compresses and have them drink plenty of fluids. Warm baths can be useful to help manage pain.
Avoid expired products. Expired medications can be less effective or even cause undesired effects beyond their expiration date. Once the expiration date has passed, there is no guarantee that the medicine remains safe and effective.
Make sure to carefully read and follow the dosing information for any product that you use.
Do not acquire these products from unknown sources, such as online groups or third parties.
Ensure your infant and/or child’s vaccines are up to date to reduce their risks of serious illness.
The Canadian Pediatric Society and the Canadian Pharmacists Association have issued guidance for parents and caregivers. They note that a fever is when the body temperature is 38C (100F) or higher and that fevers can be helpful and don’t always need to be treated as they are typically caused by infections. They recommend that if you are concerned about your child’s symptoms, if their fever persists several days, if they are not acting like themselves (overly sleepy, not eating/drinking, etc), or if the child is under six months old, to contact a medical professional.
