(Ottawa) Health Canada noted the first signs of a shortage of children’s drugs as early as April in certain provinces, notably in Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador. Steps were then taken with manufacturers to increase production.
But high demand from August across the country for these pain and fever medications in children, at a time when respiratory viruses were taking their toll, simply made the situation worse, senior officials admitted. of the Ministry of Health before a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
A working group has been created within the ministry to examine all options to resolve this shortage, including increasing domestic production of these acetaminophen and ibuprofen products and importing from allied countries such as the United States and Australia, said Deputy Minister of Health Stephen Lucas.
Canada has also received in recent days a large shipment of painkillers from the United States, confirmed Linsey Hollett, director general of the compliance section of health products, before the same parliamentary committee. She, however, declined to confirm the precise amount that was received, saying later that this information will eventually be posted on the ministry’s website.
Delivery from Australia is also expected by the end of the month, she also said. These products should hit drugstore shelves in the coming weeks.
The shortage of pediatric pain relievers is a top priority for Health Canada and every effort is being made to address this shortage. We share the concerns of all Canadians who are affected by this shortage.
Stephen Lucas, Deputy Minister of Health
He said production has increased significantly in the country, but demand continues to outstrip supply. At all times, Health Canada ensures that the directives concerning imported drugs are available in both official languages by adding a leaflet at the time of sale in pharmacies or in stores or by putting the relevant information in a QR code. which can be scanned using a smart phone.
But these remarks did little to reassure the members of the health committee. Especially since the shortage of these drugs has been making headlines across the country for several months.
“I have a toddler who was teething in April and I couldn’t get access to children’s medicine. I thought it was a supply chain issue. […] The last time I saw these products on the shelves in my community was in May. It’s terrifying for a community, especially when the nearest children’s hospital is five hours away,” said Laila Goodridge, Conservative MP for Fort McMurray–Cold Lake, Alberta.
A problem that dates
Liberal MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, Ont., Marcus Powlowski, a former doctor, said drug shortages have been common in the country for several years. According to him, it appears that Health Canada is slow to adopt an adequate strategy to tackle these shortages.
The Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Health, Stefania Trombetti, agreed with the Liberal MP, saying that Canadian authorities have listed 800 drugs that are not available in sufficient quantities to meet demand across the country.
We frequently manage shortages satisfactorily by asking manufacturers to increase production or import from other countries. This is done without the shortage reaching a critical level.
Stefania Trombetti, Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Health
She pointed out that other countries like Germany, the UK and even France have seen comparable shortages in recent months.
“We should have predicted that there would be strong demand for these drugs in the fall. We should have taken this much more seriously in April. It’s shameful,” said Nova Scotia Conservative MP Stephen Ellis, also a former doctor.
NDP MP Dan Davies later questioned why Canada was not following Australia’s lead, which requires manufacturers of high-demand drugs to maintain a four-to-six-month supply.
Deputy Minister Stephen Lucas indicated that Health Canada does not have such a policy. “We have a range of strategies to limit the risk of shortages. We continue to look at other strategies,” he said.