Heightened demand and supply chain constraints are fuelling a shortage of cold and flu medication in Canada, a major pharmacy organization in Ontario says.
Jen Belcher, vice-president of strategic initiatives and member relations for the Ontario Pharmacists Association, says a variety of factors are at play from increased demand. She says more people are developing respiratory tract infections and disruptions in the supply chain are affecting different stages of cold medication production.
"If you go to pharmacies across Ontario and other provinces, you're likely to see a number of different gaps on our shelf," Belcher told CTV's Your Morning on Monday.
"Cough and cold medications aren't the only medication we've been struggling with, but definitely over the last couple of weeks we've seen that be exacerbated and we're definitely trying to pivot to find other products that we can help people manage their symptoms with."
The relaxing of public health restrictions also is a factor, Belcher told CTV News London last week, with some viruses becoming more common as COVID-19 measures started to ease.
Some children's painkillers also are on backorder, Belcher said on Monday.
Since children's medication is generally weight based, she says some adult drugs may not be appropriate for kids.
For now, she is advising members of the public to talk to their pharmacist or someone who knows their medical history about what they can do to alleviate their cold symptoms.
"(The medication) could be back by fall when we return to regular cold and flu season but it's really hard to predict at this point in time and I couldn't say with any degree of confidence, unfortunately," Belcher said.
Watch the full interview with Jen Belcher at the top of the article.
With files from CTV News London
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