Close X
Sunday, December 22, 2024
ADVT 
National

Pharmacists ask parents not to stockpile kids meds

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Dec, 2022 05:21 PM
  • Pharmacists ask parents not to stockpile kids meds

Pharmacists are asking parents not to stockpile the limited supply of children's pain and fever medications that arrived on store shelves in Canada over the last week.

The federal government imported one million units of children's acetaminophen — commonly known as Tylenol — as emergency relief amid a shortage coupled with soaring rates of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV.

It wouldn't take long for that supply to run out given the high demand at stores across Canada, Jen Belcher of the Ontario Pharmacists Association said Friday.

"It's not like everybody got a skid full and was able to restock their shelves," she said from Kingston, Ont.

Some smaller community pharmacies may only have been allocated 10 or 12 bottles, Belcher said.

Many pharmacies and retailers are keeping the medication behind the counter or imposing quantity limits to try to ensure enough for all children who need it, she said.

"The interim supply is a good thing. It's a million more bottles than what we had just (at) the beginning of last week," Belcher said.

"But you know, given the level of demand out there and the frequency with which we're having people really searching, the recommendations obviously are still not to go to multiple retailers and try to stockpile."

Although the federal government has distributed children's Tylenol to retailers, it has also imported children's ibuprofen — commonly known as Advil — but so far has only sent it to hospitals, according to Health Canada.

More imported pain medication is on its way and is expected to arrive in the coming days, Health Canada said Friday in an emailed statement.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada's immigration backlog drops to 2.4 mn people

Canada's immigration backlog drops to 2.4 mn people
The data showed a large reduction in the backlog of temporary residence applications while the permanent residence backlog registered a slight increase. The permanent residence inventory stood at 506,421 people as of November 3, compared to 505,562 as of October 3. 

Canada's immigration backlog drops to 2.4 mn people

Tam warns of flu upswing, COVID variant 'growth'

Tam warns of flu upswing, COVID variant 'growth'
Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said Thursday in a virtual update that the triple threat of all three viruses is posing a challenge for the health system in several parts of the country and points to the need for "stepped up precautions."

Tam warns of flu upswing, COVID variant 'growth'

Man who killed girlfriend, toddler to be sentenced

Man who killed girlfriend, toddler to be sentenced
Robert Leeming, who is 37, pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Jasmine Lovett, but not guilty in the death of 22-month-old Aliyah Sanderson. He was convicted earlier this year of second-degree murder in the child's death.

Man who killed girlfriend, toddler to be sentenced

B.C. group seeks better use of flood recovery fund

B.C. group seeks better use of flood recovery fund
The federal government provided the fund last December, just weeks after an intense rainstorm washed away highways, swelled area rivers and overwhelmed dikes in the low-lying Fraser Valley, inundating key agricultural land around Abbotsford.

B.C. group seeks better use of flood recovery fund

Indo-Pacific strategy warns against China

Indo-Pacific strategy warns against China
"We will challenge China when we ought to, and we will co-operate with China when we must," Joly said in a Wednesday morning speech, adding that Canada will seek deeper ties with more democratic, reliable countries such as India.  

Indo-Pacific strategy warns against China

Trudeau to miss national Remembrance Day ceremony

Trudeau to miss national Remembrance Day ceremony
The ASEAN summit, which is scheduled to start on Saturday, is the first of four international meetings that Trudeau will attend over 10 days. He will also attend the G20 in Indonesia, the APEC meeting in Thailand and a Francophonie summit in Tunisia.

Trudeau to miss national Remembrance Day ceremony