Children’s Tylenol, Advil shortage in Alberta attributed to summer COVID infections

'Because of higher-than-expected demand due to COVID cases over the summer, many pharmacies across Alberta and other Canadian provinces are experiencing stock shortages.'

A nationwide shortage of children’s cold and flu medication is prompting concern over what will happen in Alberta once school starts up in a few weeks.

“They’re going to start getting really sick. And we’re we’re going to start getting more phone calls about Tylenol,” said Nadia Fatth, a pharmacy assistant at the The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy near 114 Street and 40 Avenue in south Edmonton.

For months now, she says pharmacies have been dealing with backorders for both tablets and liquid suspension children’s Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen).

Fatth said they’re usually overflowing with kid’s products in the weeks leading up to the beginning of the school year.

“We aren’t getting anything. As you can see, there’s literally nothing,” she said, gesturing to a sparse shelf behind her.

Parents have been calling the pharmacy looking for Tylenol and Advil. If there happens to be some in stock, Fatth said customers typically swing by quickly to pick it up before someone else does.

September typically sees an uptick in colds, flus and other diseases easily spread in closed spaces like classrooms. The lack of available medications concerns Edmonton parent Melissa Tiahlo, who had trouble this week finding medication for her daughter.

“The last two years, it’s been crazy,” she said of the various supply chain issues since the COVID-19 pandemic began.