Shortage of children's liquid pain medication at Lethbridge pharmacies, August 17, 2022. (Photo: LNN)

By LNN Staff with files from The Canadian Press

Shortage of children’s liquid pain medication

Aug 17, 2022 | 4:59 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Parents might have a hard time finding liquid pain medication such as Children’s Advil and Children’s Tylenol at local pharmacies.

Retailers in Lethbridge and across the country are dealing with shortages of common children’s pain relievers caused by supply chain disruptions and a summer spike of COVID-19 in some regions.

In Lethbridge, at least two pharmacies do not have any children’s pain medication on the shelves, and local pharmacy technicians said they didn’t know when they would receive additional stock.

While some pharmacies in Lethbridge already have product shortages, the situation is even worse in other parts of the country.

Michelle Wasylyshen, a spokeswoman for the Retail Council of Canada, says there have been rolling shortages of certain pain relievers in recent months, and some places have been hit harder than others.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

The editor-in-chief of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, Barry Power, says the supply crunch is concentrated in urban centres in Ontario, but there have been reports of community-specific shortages in other parts of Canada that are also dealing with high disease activity.

Jen Belcher, vice-president of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, says that province is seeing an “extensive” shortage of over-the-counter children’s pain relievers containing acetaminophen, which is known by the brand name Tylenol.

A spokesperson for Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada, an industry group that has Tylenol-maker Johnson & Johnson as a member, said there are “pockets” of Canada where shortages have happened, but downplayed the severity of the issue.

“In many cases, if there’s a shortage at a particular pharmacy, those parents that are looking for that product are able to go to a secondary pharmacy and often find it without that much trouble,” said Anthony Fuchs.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association is cautioning parents against making panic purchases, and Power said a prescription is not needed, despite some recent unfounded reports.

“We really want to reiterate that you do not need a prescription,” said Power. “Let’s not drive people into doctors’ offices and pharmacies with prescriptions if we don’t need to.”

Pharmacists across the country are assuring parents that they can still get liquid Tylenol or Advil without a prescription. They also say they can provide alternatives for fever and pain management.

Belcher says if you can’t find your child’s preferred cherry-flavoured syrup on the shelves, there are other formulations that may do the trick. She says pharmacists can dispense liquid acetaminophen from stock bottles without a prescription, and chewable tablets are available for kids who will tolerate them.

Meanwhile, Power says drug manufacturers are ramping up production to get children’s pain relievers back in stock in time for the fall cold and flu season.

Tylenol’s manufacturer says its children’s products are still available in stores and online.

“We continue to experience increased consumer-driven demand and are taking all possible measures to ensure product availability,” Johnson & Johnson stated.

Read more Lethbridge News Now.