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By Regan Tate with files from the Canadian Press

NDP calling for immediate action to address shortage of children’s medication in Alberta

Nov 14, 2022 | 3:02 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB -The Opposition NDP is calling for emergency action to address the widespread shortage of children’s fever and pain medication.

Health Critic David Shepherd and Children’s Services Critic Rakhi Pancholi have written a joint letter to the federal and provincial health ministers calling for better collaboration on procuring emergency shipments of these medications.

The NDP is also demanding that the UCP government provide daily reporting on the amount of pain medications received in Alberta along with clear timelines on when those shipments will be available in local pharmacies.

Pancholi says the shortage is being fueled by a spike in RSV, COVID-19, and the flu among children. She notes that public reporting indicates that 4 out of 13 Albertans who have ended up in intensive care with one of these illnesses have been children under the age of 9.

In other instances, children who don’t need to be hospitalized are still ending up in emergency rooms due to the lack of medication available. Wait times at some hospitals like the Alberta Children’s in Calgary have been up to 17 hours at times.

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Health Canada says it’s importing more children’s pain and fever medications in order to restock store shelves in the coming weeks.

The government did not immediately say how much supply is coming or where it is being imported from.