New supply of children's medication still limited, pharmacist cautions
Canada is importing more children’s medication amid an unprecedented surge in demand, but the head of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association warns that the supply will still need to be rationed if it’s going to last.
About one million bottles of children’s cold medication has already arrived in Canada and the federal government says another half-million bottles are slated to arrive over the next three weeks, but Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association, told Newstalk 580 CFRA that the supply the government secured won’t last through the winter if it’s just left on the shelves.
“If we just put it out on the shelves, people might buy two or three bottles per customer and if that happens, with the tentative supply we do have, it’s not going to last long… it’s weeks of supply, not months,” he said.
Bates is suggesting that the product should remain behind the counter for the time being, to mitigate the risks of stockpiling, panic buying and, in some cases, reselling.
“We should probably put these products behind the counter, which is a bit an inconvenience for patients, but at the very minimum they can talk to the pharmacist and we can ration it one per customer so that we make sure there’s enough to go around for the people that need it.”
Demand has spiked in Canada amid an early flu season combined with the ongoing risk of COVID-19 and another seasonal virus, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which has been hitting the emergency rooms of children’s hospitals hard. Ottawa’s flu positivity rate was 23.4 per cent for the week of Nov. 13-19. Bates says Canadian manufacturers, while they have increased production, haven’t been able to keep up.
“We did see an unprecedented spike in demand back in the late summer, approximately 300 per cent over this time last year. The manufacturers here couldn’t keep pace with that, even though they have increased their production by 35 per cent, which is a record,” he said.
On Friday, federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos said about 1.1 million units were produced domestically in November, adding that production has doubled over the past few weeks.
Ottawa pharmacist and vice president of pharmacy affairs with the Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, Dr. Sheli Dattani, told CFRA that medication has been coming in locally, but the new supply won’t replenish all of the stock that they need.
“A lot of pharmacies are keeping them behind the counter and they may have purchase limits, so I would just tell people that it’s out there,” she said, asking customers to be patient. “Definitely think about whether you really need it. Talk to your pharmacist about it and then go to them and they’ll likely give it to you from behind the counter.”
Dattani says she’s encouraged to hear that more supply will be coming in over the next few weeks.
“I think we’re going to see this problem slowly, not as quickly as we’d like, but slowly getting resolved.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial has fined him US$1,000 for violating his gag order and sternly warned the former president that additional violation could result in jail time.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
When grief and AI collide: These people are communicating with the dead
AI tools can offer recommendations, answer questions and 'talk' with users. But some users are using them to recreate the likeness of the dead.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.