Health Minister Jason Copping addressing the shortage of children's medication, December 6, 2022. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By Justin Goulet

Health

Alberta secures five million bottles of children’s pain medication

Dec 6, 2022 | 1:07 PM

For months, parents and caregivers have faced a shortage in children’s pain and fever medication, not only in Alberta but across Canada.

The Government of Alberta addressed the shortage on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

Premier Danielle Smith announced that the province has secured five million units of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

The shipment comes from Atabay Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals, based in Turkey. The province said the medication will be manufactured at a Health Canada-approved facility. Officials noted that the company already has Health Canada approval for its raw ingredients.

Smith said cold and flu season is always challenging and the lack of medication is causing additional stress for Alberta families, and a strain on the healthcare system.

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She stated, “Right now, your government is working with Alberta Health Services [AHS] and Health Canada on the details and logistics to import this medicine.”

Smith added that residents “can feel confident that we are all moving as quickly as we can so that Alberta families can get what they need.”

Once the drug establishment licensing approval process is completed, the medication will be delivered to Alberta over 10 air shipments, according to the province.

Health Minister Jason Copping said, “When a shipment is received, the bottles will be available for ordering by pharmacies across the province and distributed within a couple of days.”

He continued, “Each bottle will be available to pharmacies at a price that lets them sell it at the average retail price. This is to make sure that the medication remains affordable for Alberta families.”

The provincial government added that individual pharmacies will have the ability to issue the medication from behind the counter if they are concerned about their store’s supply.

Copping said that once there is sufficient stock in pharmacies and in hospitals, the government will work alongside Health Canada to determine how “some of this supply” can be shared with other provinces and territories.

Alberta NDP Children’s Services Critic Rakhi Pancholi and Health Critic David Shepherd made the following statement in response to the UCP announcement on the availability of over-the-counter pediatric medicine:

“I am pleased to see the news from the government that children’s medications will become more widely available,” said Rakhi Pancholi, Alberta NDP Children’s Services Critic.

“I wrote to Minister Copping several weeks ago to implore the government to take immediate and tangible action to alleviate the issue, and I will be watching closely to see when the medication arrives, and when it will actually be in the hands of parents.”

“This is a positive step in improving pediatric medicine in Alberta,” said David Shepherd, Alberta NDP Critic for Health.

“Unfortunately, the wait times, trailers, and redeployment of hospice staff at the Alberta Children’s Hospital are simply unacceptable. The children’s healthcare system is in crisis, and yet the UCP has repeatedly blocked our requests to debate the crisis and refused to debate legislation that would help end the chaos.

“I am calling on Minister Copping and the UCP government to act swiftly on the recommendations the Alberta NDP have brought forward on the healthcare crisis, implement an emergency action plan, and provide relief from the helplessness and anguish parents are experiencing.”

(With files from rdnewsNOW)