Close X
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
ADVT 
National

Kids' pain meds hitting pharmacy shelves: Duclos

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 25 Nov, 2022 10:46 AM
  • Kids' pain meds hitting pharmacy shelves: Duclos

OTTAWA — Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the previously announced one million units of imported kids' pain relievers are starting to arrive on pharmacy shelves, while an additional 500,000units have been ordered and are expected over the next few weeks.

A separate shipment of kids' pain relievers from Australia are headed for hospitalsand domestic production has ramped up, Duclos said at a news conference Friday morning.

Parents across Canada have been scrambling to manage their children's fever and pain as rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza skyrocket amid a dire shortage of pediatric acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Last week, Health Canada said the one million imported units will be almost identical to the medications that are authorized in this country, typically known by the brand names Tylenol and Advil.

“In some places, the shelves already show those units received. In other places it might take an additional day or so," Duclos said.

"We expect that in the next week the availability of those doses will be quite clear in shelves across community pharmacies across the country.”

Duclos said that in addition to the emergency imports, domestic production is increasing to meet demand, noting more than 1.1 million units of children's Advil products have been made by producer Haleon in November alone for the Canadian market.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association confirmed to The Canadian Press shipments have started to arrive, and it expects products will be seen on store shelves over the next few days and into next week.

"We’re hopeful that this will start to bring some relief to parents and caregivers and help address our immediate needs," the group said in a statement.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said that COVID-19, RSV and influenza are continuing to co-circulate at high levels.

While RSV activity seems to have levelled off, Tam said she expects it to remain elevated for weeks to come.

There's a "steep rise" in influenza activity, affecting an unusually high number of children and teenagers, she said.

Pediatric hospitals across Canada are reporting a "sharp increase" in flu-related hospitalizations among kids 16 years of age and younger, Tam noted.

There is no vaccine for RSV, but Tam urged Canadians to get the flu shot and keep up to date on their COVID-19 vaccination, as well as take other infection control precautions such as staying home when sick, wearing masks and washing hands.

MORE National ARTICLES

VPD seizes cache of weapons from Hastings Street tent encampment

VPD seizes cache of weapons from Hastings Street tent encampment
VPD patrol officers launched a criminal investigation earlier this week after receiving information illicit drugs and weapons were being stored inside a tent near Main and Hastings. 5 people were arrested. The investigation remains ongoing.

VPD seizes cache of weapons from Hastings Street tent encampment

Parole extended for Victoria killer 25 years later

Parole extended for Victoria killer 25 years later
A Parole Board of Canada decision says 40-year-old Kerry Sim, who was formerly known as Kelly Ellard, has been authorized to remain on day parole but with numerous conditions. Sim was 15 years old when she and a group of teenagers swarmed and beat Virk, and her trial heard she and a co-accused later followed the 14-year-old girl to continue the beating and drown her in the Gorge waterway.  

Parole extended for Victoria killer 25 years later

B.C. premier stresses more collaboration in speech

B.C. premier stresses more collaboration in speech
Horgan told local elected leaders at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention that he wasn't there to make splashy funding announcements, which he called lolly, but rather to start or continue collaborative initiatives aimed at bringing results. 

B.C. premier stresses more collaboration in speech

Altercation between youth groups results in youth being stabbed in Newton

Altercation between youth groups results in youth being stabbed in Newton
Police say they are working to identify two suspects, they are described as South Asian youths believed to be between 15 and 17 years old, who left the area before police arrived. They say one of the suspects may have sustained superficial injures during the altercation.

Altercation between youth groups results in youth being stabbed in Newton

Search warrant at a Surrey convenience store leads to seizure of fentanyl and large amount of cash

Search warrant at a Surrey convenience store leads to seizure of fentanyl and large amount of cash
On August 30, 2022, Surrey RCMP Drug Unit executed a search warrant at a convenience store located in the 10200-block of City Parkway.  Investigation lead the police to believe that the business was being used to facilitate drug trafficking in the area.

Search warrant at a Surrey convenience store leads to seizure of fentanyl and large amount of cash

Canada losing internationally trained doctors

Canada losing internationally trained doctors
Doctors trained abroad arrive in the country hoping to practise but are often stymied by the costly licensing process, and they leave for countries where it is easier to get licensed. Some provinces, including Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, are working to streamline their procedures as they welcome Ukrainian doctors fleeing the war in their country.

Canada losing internationally trained doctors