Alberta Premier Danielle Smith provides an update on efforts to secure children's pain medication, January 10, 2023. (Photo: Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Health

Children’s pain medication arriving in Alberta this weekend for AHS use

Jan 10, 2023 | 3:10 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Alberta’s premier has provided an update on the province’s effort to acquire more children’s pain medication.

On December 6, 2022, the government announced that it had secured five million units of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen. The first shipment was originally supposed to hit pharmacy shelves by Christmas.

The shipment comes from Atabay Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals, based in Turkey. The province previously said the medication will be manufactured at a Health Canada-approved facility.

During a media availability on January 10, 2023, Premier Danielle Smith said there were some delays in the Health Canada approval process, but it should not be much longer before the first doses arrive in Alberta.

“We have our first shipment arriving on the weekend (Jan. 14/15). It’s going to be for Alberta Health Services’ use. It’s 250,000 bottles,” says Smith.

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She adds that the remaining 4.75 million bottles are going to be subject to a slight delay.

When used by members of the general public, Smith says children’s pain medication containers must have a child-proof cap.

Officials with Health Canada have had to inspect all involved facilities, ensure the packaging meets both English and French language requirements, and check that the labelling of ingredients is consistent with other medications that are available in Canada.

“I don’t want to rush Health Canada,” says Smith. “Certainly, I want to make sure that people, as soon as the supply arrives, they feel confident in it. It really was just a matter of us just meeting the regulatory conditions and that was the last regulatory condition we had to meet.”

Smith did not provide an update on when the medication intended for the general public is expected to arrive in the province.