Laura Clark often uses over-the-counter liquid Tylenol for her young children when they have a fever.
“With my three children, we count on it,” she says. “Actually right now I’m home with our middle child who got a bug from his younger brother so we used it as recently as this morning.”
But the next time Clark goes to buy it, it may be harder to find, as shelves in some Maritime pharmacies are out of stock or nearly sold out for many liquid pain and fever formulations for children and infants.
“What we’re seeing is an increase in demand for products that treat pain and fever in children,” says Barry Power, pharmacist and editor of the Canadian Pharmacists Association in Ottawa.
Power says recent demand is due to spikes in COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses among young people.
“We’re also seeing spikes in RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) in children,” Power says. “So we’re starting to see a bit of a perfect storm where there’s a lot of stuff going around that the kids are getting.”
But while Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital recently sent a letter to outpatient caregivers advising them they may need a prescription for these drugs due to the shortage, the Association says this is not necessary. .
“Speak to your pharmacist, absolutely,” says Halifax pharmacist Greg Richard. Richard says a pharmacist can help caregivers find other options for parents who need pain and fever medication, and can give the best advice on the proper dosage of certain products for a particular child.
“Even if you can’t find the Tylenol brand, there may be other brands on the shelves that you just don’t know about,” he says. “Depending on the dose, a chewable tablet may be an option. Everything depends on the situation. »
The IWK Health Center says its supplies of liquid acetaminophen and ibuprofen for hospital and emergency patients are adequate.
Dr. Melanie MacInnis, clinical pharmacy specialist for pediatric emergency medicine at the IWK, also says that sometimes a child’s fever doesn’t require medication.
“Just because the thermometer may show your child has a fever, if he is well, and behaving and playing as he normally would, there is no need to treat him.”
The Canadian Pharmacists Association says manufacturers are still producing the drugs, so supply issues can be sporadic depending on location.
It also reminds consumers not to stockpile to ensure there are enough drugs on the shelves for those who need them.