Availability of cough, cold and pain medication varies across the city. Shelves were largely bare at the Crescent Heights Shoppers Drug Mart on Tuesday, with a store representative citing a nationwide shortage.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com@kkingmhn
Medicine Hat, like many communities across Canada, is continuing to experience medication shortages, though the extent varies between retailers.
In late 2022, a national shortage of acetaminophen and ibuprofen led to a drastic reduction in the availability of over-the-counter pain and fever medication, specifically children’s medicine.
The shortage prompted Alberta’s government to secure an additional 5 million units of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen, with the first shipment (250,000 units) arriving Jan. 18, and distribution following shortly thereafter.
While local supply of children’s pain and fever medication has increased over the past months, there are still concerns regarding its availability, as well as the availability of adult pain relievers and cough and cold medication.
The News visited multiple pharmacies this week to assess local supply of over-the-counter medications and found that overall availability is less than usual, with some retailers being entirely out of stock of children and adult pain medication and cough and cold meds, while other retailers had moderate stock.
In general, chain pharmacies tended to have the lowest stock of pain and cough and cold medications, while independent pharmacies and grocery stores tended to have moderate stock.
A pharmacist with Shoppers Drug Mart confirmed the store is receiving shipments of the medications, albeit the quantity included in each shipment often is not enough to meet demand, even with purchase limits in place. (Most local pharmacies are currently restricting purchase of acetaminophen and ibuprofen products, especially brand-names like Tylenol and Advil, to one per person.)
The pharmacist said brand-name medications are often in highest demand, but even generic medications are in short supply at some stores across the city.
Several other pharmacists at retail locations across the city said they have also seen an increase in demand for such products, with some expressing fear over the medication shortages, while others said they believe the situation is improved now compared to several months ago.
Experts say a multitude of factors have contributed to the shortages, including production and shipment interruptions and increased consumer demand.
The province is still awaiting delivery of an additional 4.75 million units of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but has not yet confirmed procurement of adult medications.
