Pain, fever medicines for children scarce on pharmacy shelves
Laura Clark often uses over-the-counter liquid Tylenol for her young kids when they have a fever.
“With my three children, we rely on it,” she says. “Actually, right now, I’m home with our middle child who picked up a bug from her younger brother, so we've used it as recently as this morning.”
But the next time Clark goes to buy it, it may be harder to find, because shelves in some Maritime pharmacies are out of stock or nearly out of many liquid pain and fever formulations for children and infants.
“What we are seeing is an increase in demand for produces that treat pain and fever for children,” says Barry Power, a pharmacist and editor-in-chief at the Canadian Pharmacists Association in Ottawa.
Power says the recent demand is due to spikes in COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses among youth.
“We're seeing spikes in RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) in children as well,” says Power. “So we're starting to see a bit of a perfect storm where there are a lot of things circulating that children are getting.”
But while Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto recently sent a letter to outpatient caregivers advising they may need to get a prescription for these medications because of the short supply, the Association says that’s not necessary.
“Talk to your pharmacist, absolutely,” says Halifax pharmacist Greg Richard. Richard says a pharmacist can help caregivers find other options for parents in need of pain and fever medication, and can give the best advice on the proper dosage of certain products for a particular child.
“Even though you may not be able to find Tylenol brand, there may be other brands on the shelves you’re just not familiar with,” he says. “Depending on the dose, a chewable may be an option. It just depends on the situation.”
The IWK Health Centre says its inpatient and emergency supplies of liquid acetaminophen and ibuprofen products is adequate.
Dr. Melanie MacInnis, the IWK’s clinical pharmacy specialist for pediatric emergency medicine, also says sometimes a child’s fever doesn’t require medication.
“Just because the thermometer may say that your child has a fever, if they are otherwise well, and behaving and playing like they normally would, there’s no need to treat.”
The Canadian Association of Pharmacists says manufacturers are still producing the drugs, so supply issues may be sporadic depending on location.
It’s also reminding consumers not to stockpile to make sure there's enough medications on the shelves for those who need it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The current overall public health risk posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus is low, the World Health Organization said on Friday, but urged countries to stay alert for cases of animal-to-human transmission.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Regina police officer injured after being accidentally shot by fellow officer's gun
An investigation is underway after a Regina police officer was accidentally shot by a fellow officer’s gun during the search of a house early Friday morning.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
Island near Mull of Kintyre for sale for US$3.1 million
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.