The Chief Medical Consultant Dr. Supriya Sharma told reporters Friday that Health Canada is exploring “all levers” available to it to remedy the situation and understands this is a “very challenging” situation for parents and health care providers. “While drug shortages continue to make headlines, we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to end shortages. It will take time, but things will improve as we begin to see the results of increased production of Canadian acetaminophen and ibuprofen products supplemented by the flow of foreign products coming into the country,” he said. The supply will be given to hospitals, community pharmacies and retailers and will start appearing on store shelves early next week, Sharma said. Products included in the new supply include liquid ibuprofen and liquid acetaminophen for children. Drug shortages in Canada began as early as last spring, CTVNews.ca reported. There are hundreds of medications that are either out of stock or out of stock altogether, and the problem extends beyond children’s medication. Three major viruses now circulating – RSV, influenza and COVID-19 – are leading to overcrowded hospitals and overcrowded pediatric ICUs, particularly in Ontario. Health Canada meets with stakeholders including manufacturers, retailers and health professionals on a weekly basis to “share information and strategies,” Sharma said. He also said proposals for supply are also being evaluated and all proposals received will be reviewed to ensure it meets Health Canada’s standards for efficacy and safety. So far three approved proposals have been made to import foreign drugs and the supply is now entering the country.
OTTAWA UNDER PRESSURE TO SOLVE SHORTAGE
There are 800 drugs that are in short supply and 23 are at critically low levels, according to the agency. Amid the many diseases circulating, Ottawa has come under increased pressure in recent weeks from the provinces and the federal opposition to take action on drug shortages. The Conservatives are urging the federations to allow the sale of foreign-language medicines. Health Canada said this week that, with regard to incoming stock, “all information related to precautions and warnings, dosage instructions, ingredients and other important details will be available in both English and French to ensure that parents and caregivers clearly understand which medicine to use and how to give it to their children.” Since the drug importation began, hospitals are now seeing a “fairly stable” supply of painkillers for children as imported products have already been provided, Sharma told reporters. Bilingual product labeling has not slowed access, he said. When asked why Health Canada didn’t act earlier in the year to import drugs when shortages had been occurring since the spring, Sharma said there was initial consultation with the community and stakeholders to understand the demand and issues. Manufacturers believed that an increase in supply could help meet demand, which appeared to ease the problem earlier in the year. But by late summer, the government had to consider imports as demand increased, he said. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief of public health, said at Friday’s news conference that COVID-19 is still circulating across the country and RSV levels are higher than expected for this time of year. RSV and influenza “have a big impact on children,” Tam said. While hospitals are seeing high admissions related to these diseases, there is no vaccine. Getting children vaccinated with vaccines that are available, such as the flu and COVID-19 vaccine, is important, she explained. Tam also said he wears a mask and washes his hands, along with staying home when he’s sick “One of the biggest challenges of the simultaneous circulation of multiple respiratory viruses is the large and sudden increase in disease that could overwhelm the health system,” he said. Jen Belcher, an Ottawa-based pharmacist and vice-president of strategic initiatives and member relations at the Ontario Pharmacists Association, told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday that there are fears the shortages could continue for months. “Commonly used antibiotics for chest infections, ear infections… were a real challenge for parents [to find] as they navigate the respiratory virus era with very few options,” he said. The reasons for the shortages are “complex,” involving a combination of demand, supply chain disruptions and production disruptions, he said, indicating that drug production must be prioritized next. Many pharmacy shelves have been left bare, running out of allergy medicine for children, pain relievers for children and now cough and cold syrup for adults, eye drops and some oral antibiotics, according to industry experts. Many pharmacists across Canada have said the issue continues to worsen. With files from The Canadian Press, CTV Toronto, CTV Kitchener and CTV News Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello
