Ontario parents say they're now travelling to the U.S. in search of children's medication
A Canada-wide shortage of children's medication, amid a surge of respiratory infections, has forced some Ontario parents to head south of the border in search of solutions.
At Meds, a pharmacy in Etobicoke, Ont., compound pharmacist Dave Hughes told CTV News Toronto they’re seeing an average of five to 20 excess sick children a day.
“There’s a lineup forming most nights where people are asking questions about one medication or another,” he told CTV News Toronto Thursday. “There is some urgency to a lot of cases.”
Two families said in interviews they plan to travel or had travelled to Buffalo, N.Y., in search of relief for their children.
“My granddaughter had a lung infection, and the doctor said to give her Tylenol,” a woman, Savem, told CTV News Toronto. "She had a really bad headache and cough, but you don’t find Tylenol, you don’t find anything, so this Saturday, I’m going to Buffalo."
Evelyn, a mother who spoke to CTV News Toronto, who said she was previously only able to find a small amount of infant Tylenol in Toronto, said she had recently travelled to Buffalo in search of medication.
“It’s been so difficult,” she said. “I recently went to a Shoppers but all they had was infant Tylenol and only a small amount and they wanted a prescription from a doctor to get it.”
“I decided on my own terms to go to the States, to Buffalo, and they had a few bottles left.”
She purchased only one of the bottles and drove back to Ontario, she said.
Health Canada is blaming the shortage of analgesics, or pain relief medication, on unprecedented demand, while many pharmacists say there's been a supply shortage for months.
Toronto pharmacist Amir Khela says supply has been dwindling for months.
“It’s been gone for what? Three months now?” he said. “It’s definitely a supply problem.”
This week, federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said the shortage of medication was due to a rising wave of respiratory illnesses.
“Demand for analgesics has soared,” Duclos said. “We now understand really well that this is driven by the severe viruses that are impacting our children across Canada.”
Officials also point to the spike in children admissions at hospitals. Locally, at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, emergency room wait times are up 12 hours on average. In the hospital's general medicine unit, occupancy rates have hit 133 per cent.
In Ottawa, CHEO, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ottawa, recently had to open a second pediatric care unit.
In the meantime, Health Canada said manufacturers are increasing production, with some producing “at record levels.”
It said it recently approved the “exceptional” importation of ibuprofen from the United States, and is working on doing the same for acetaminophen from Australia, to supply hospitals.
Health Canada is also working on doing the same for community pharmacies and consumers, it adds, although the agency did not provide a timeline for when that would happen.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Heidi Petracik
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
China lands spacecraft on the moon amid growing space rivalry with U.S.
A Chinese spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon Sunday to collect soil and rock samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.