Mission parents are scrambling to find common children鈥檚 pain relievers as pharmacy shelves remain empty.
Local Facebook pages are filled with parents begging others to share such medications as children鈥檚 Tylenol and Advil.
鈥淢y child is suffering and nobody seems to know why pharmacies are out of such a basic item,鈥� wrote one parent. 鈥淒oes anyone have any extra they could share.鈥�
Another parent was offering to pay double the price for some Tylenol.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy to pay extra if it will help my baby boy,鈥� the parent wrote.
The Record visited multiple Mission pharmacies and found empty shelves for the product.
Some parents are blaming other parents for 鈥渉oarding鈥� 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 pain relievers now require a doctor鈥檚 note, Power cautioned parents against making panic purchases.
鈥淲e really want to reiterate that you do not need a prescription,鈥� said Power. 鈥淟et鈥檚 not drive people into doctors鈥� offices and pharmacies with prescriptions if we don鈥檛 need to.鈥�
Some children鈥檚 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鈥檚 manufacturer said its children鈥檚 products are still available in stores and online.
鈥淲e continue to experience increased consumer-driven demand and are taking all possible measures to ensure product availability,鈥� 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 鈥減ockets鈥� of Canada where shortages have happened, but downplayed the severity of the issue.
鈥淚n many cases, if there鈥檚 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,鈥� 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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