Worried about a shortage of children's medications? Here's what you need to know
CBC
Amid a nationwide shortage of children's pain and fever medications, Health Canada was due to speak with manufacturers on Thursday to discuss ways to boost supply.
Parents across the country have noted empty shelves where they had hoped to find pediatric acetaminophen or ibuprofen products, like liquid Tylenol and Advil, or chewable tablets.
Conflicting advice from health organizations in recent days has led to confusion about how to buy the products and prompted concerns about potential panic-buying.
Pharmacists and other health organizations are urging the public not to hoard the medicines, as there are backup options available and pharmacists can offer individualized advice for treating kids.
Do you have questions or an experience to share about the children's medication shortage? Send an email to ask@cbc.ca
No, you do not need a prescription for children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen products. They are over-the-counter medicines, but the current shortage means they might not be on some store shelves.
If a parent is unable to find the medications, they should speak with a pharmacist, who can help by:
Pharmacists are experts in customizing medications for patients, and can easily do so if requested, said Bertrand Bolduc, president of the Quebec Order of Pharmacists.
"We have access to the active ingredients, we have recipes, we know how to mask the taste of that drug, so if push comes to shove, we'll make it ourselves," he told CBC Radio's Daybreak Montreal.
It would be up to an individual pharmacy to decide whether to charge a dispensing fee for medication from a stock bottle or for compounding medicine, several pharmacists told CBC News.
WATCH | Don't stockpile children's medicine, parents urged:
On Monday, Toronto's SickKids hospital advised parents and caregivers of its patients that they would now need a prescription for children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen products for take-home use, due to the nationwide shortage.
However, on Tuesday, the hospital clarified that advice, saying it "recommended" a prescription "to help ensure access" to a pharmacy's larger stock bottles, adding that its original message was not meant for the general public.
According to the Ontario Pharmacists Association, a prescription can be helpful because it tells the pharmacist the right amount of medication to dispense to the individual child, and what dosage to put on the label, based on their age and weight. That said, a prescription is not mandatory.
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