Parents may need a prescription for some children's liquid medication, SickKids warns
Parents of young children may need a prescription for over-the-counter fever and pain medication due to a shortage at some pharmacies, Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children is warning.
In a letter sent to caregivers, the hospital said some pharmacies across the country are dealing with supply shortages of liquid Tylenol and Advil.
"If your child requires the liquid form of acetaminophen, you will now require a prescription," the letter says. "It cannot currently be sold over the counter because it has to be repackaged from large bottles into smaller bottles by the pharmacist."
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a SickKids spokesperson said that pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart, in addition to SickKids' inpatient pharmacy, are impacted by the nationwide shortage. The hospital says that children staying overnight at SickKids will be able to get the medication, but those who visit the hospital and then go home will need to get a prescription from their health-care provider.
“While some retail pharmacies may have adequate supply of these over-the-counter medications, other pharmacies may only have them available in large quantities that must be dispensed by a pharmacist. For this reason, the medication may require a prescription,” Sarah Warr, senior communications advisor for SickKids, said.
"The health and safety of our patients is our top priority and we continue to closely monitor this situation," Warr said. "We have been working with our vendors and clinical partners to develop and implement strategies to help preserve our remaining supply."
Jen Belcher, vice president of strategic initiatives and member relations for the Ontario Pharmacists Association, says this recommendation doesn't mean customers can’t buy liquid Advil and Tylenol over the counter.
“The prescription does make it easier in the sense that it provides instructions for dispensing of that product. But ultimately, liquid Tylenol has not changed from an over the counter drug to a prescription-only product,” she told CP24.
Belcher explained that the shortage is impacting smaller bottles that are normally sold over the counter, which is why they are recommending parents get prescriptions in some cases so that pharmacists can use larger stock bottles to fill those requests.
SickKids also recommends that parents consider other forms of medication, including chewable tablets.
"Speak to your pharmacist or health-care provider first to ensure you give your child the right dose," the letter adds.
The shortage comes a month after the Ontario Pharmacists Association warned that heightened demand and supply chain constraints were fueling a shortage of cold and flu medication.
"If you go to pharmacies across Ontario and other provinces, you're likely to see a number of different gaps on our shelf," Belcher told CTV's Your Morning in July.
"(The medication) could be back by fall when we return to regular cold and flu season but it's really hard to predict at this point in time and I couldn't say with any degree of confidence, unfortunately."
At the time, Belcher said some children's painkillers were on backorder.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to the Ministry of Health as well as Shoppers Drug Mart for more information on how the shortage is impacting Ontarians.
It is unclear how many pharmacies are affected.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.