Mission parents are scrambling to find common children乌鸦传媒檚 pain relievers as pharmacy shelves remain empty.
Local Facebook pages are filled with parents begging others to share such medications as children乌鸦传媒檚 Tylenol and Advil.
乌鸦传媒淢y child is suffering and nobody seems to know why pharmacies are out of such a basic item,乌鸦传媒� wrote one parent. 乌鸦传媒淒oes anyone have any extra they could share.乌鸦传媒�
Another parent was offering to pay double the price for some Tylenol.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 happy to pay extra if it will help my baby boy,乌鸦传媒� the parent wrote.
The Record visited multiple Mission pharmacies and found empty shelves for the product.
Some parents are blaming other parents for 乌鸦传媒渉oarding乌鸦传媒� the pain relievers.
Health Canada says special imports of ibuprofen from the U.S. are waiting for distribution, while acetaminophen imports from Australia are imminent.
It isn乌鸦传媒檛 saying how much is expected or how the stock will be split among hospitals.
Barry Power, editor-in-chief of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, told the Canadian Press that while supply chain interruptions have contributed to the problem, an unexpected summer spike in the circulation of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, seems to be driving high consumer demand, said Power.
Drug manufacturers are ramping up production to get these pain relievers back in stock come fall cold and flu season, he added.
A months-long shortage of children乌鸦传媒檚 pain and fever medication has sent many parents and caregivers scouring bare shelves and swapping tips on drug sightings.
As media reports have stoked unfounded concerns that children乌鸦传媒檚 pain relievers now require a doctor乌鸦传媒檚 note, Power cautioned parents against making panic purchases.
乌鸦传媒淲e really want to reiterate that you do not need a prescription,乌鸦传媒� said Power. 乌鸦传媒淟et乌鸦传媒檚 not drive people into doctors乌鸦传媒� offices and pharmacies with prescriptions if we don乌鸦传媒檛 need to.乌鸦传媒�
Some children乌鸦传媒檚 hospitals have taken steps to maintain supplies of liquid Tylenol and Advil for patients who are admitted, and are helping find solutions for children who are discharged.
Tylenol乌鸦传媒檚 manufacturer said its children乌鸦传媒檚 products are still available in stores and online.
乌鸦传媒淲e continue to experience increased consumer-driven demand and are taking all possible measures to ensure product availability,乌鸦传媒� Johnson & Johnson said.
A spokesman for Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, an industry group that counts Johnson & Johnson as a member, said there are 乌鸦传媒減ockets乌鸦传媒� of Canada where shortages have happened, but downplayed the severity of the issue.
乌鸦传媒淚n many cases, if there乌鸦传媒檚 a shortage at a particular pharmacy, those parents that are looking for that product are able to go to a secondary pharmacy and often find it without that much trouble,乌鸦传媒� said Anthony Fuchs.
As Canadians have emerged from COVID-19 lockdown, there is high demand for cold and flu medication, said Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada.
There have been rolling shortages of certain pain relievers in recent months, and some places have been hit harder than others, said Wasylyshen.
- With additional reporting by the Canadian Press
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