Shelves sit empty or not fully stocked as pharmacies continue to wait for supply. (Photo Courtesy Kevin Kyle)

By Gates Guarin

Children's Tylenol & Advil

‘A perfect storm’: local pharmacies dealing with global medication shortage

Nov 18, 2022 | 4:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Local pharmacies continue to experience several shortages of both over-the-counter and prescription medication.

Greg Bueckert, pharmacist with Greg’s Remedy Pharmacy, says children’s Tylenol and Advil are in short supply not only in his pharmacy but across the continent.

He adds about 800 prescription drugs are also shorted, and he has seen customers go from store to store just to find anything that can help.

“Most of us, or all of us, all these pharmacies are in the same boat, they’re finding shortages,” Bueckert says. “It’s a supply problem, it’s a delivery problem. It’s just a perfect storm where we just can’t get what we need or as much as we need.”

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Bueckert says there are some workarounds, where adult tablets can be cut down to equivalent doses as an alternative to the shortage of pediatric medication.

The federal government announced it would import a supply of children’s pain medication which could be hitting shelves as early as next week.

Bueckert hopes to have new stock on the shelves in around two weeks, but says what people should not be doing is stockpiling medication, as it only hurts those trying to find certain drugs for themselves and their families.

“It’s human nature to stockpile, I don’t think we’re ever going to change that, but it would be nice to leave some for somebody else that’s in the same situation. This is a temporary problem, it’s not going to be permanent, so to stockpile is just not fair to the rest of the people, young mothers who have children, anybody with children.”

Bueckert says to talk to your local pharmacist if you any questions or concerns about the shortage or for any timelines on the medication’s arrival. A tablet dosing chart is available on Greg’s Remedy Pharmacy’s Facebook page.