Pharmacies in B.C.’s Lower Mainland report shortages of adult cold and flu medications | 24CA News
Rudy Chin says in his 27-year-long profession, he is by no means seen shortages of grownup chilly and flu medicines just like the one he is seeing now.
“About two weeks ago it was almost zero,” stated the Vancouver-based pharmacist. “We literally had nothing on the shelves, and we have probably about 30 per cent [of stock right now].”
He’s one in every of many throughout the Lower Mainland reporting having 5 to 25 per cent of their typical chilly and flu medicine inventory — a provide that will not be capable of meet the calls for of the present chilly and flu season, they are saying.
The scarcity of grownup medicine in B.C. follows a surge in flu circumstances and shortages in kids’s chilly medicine, that are additionally ongoing, in accordance with pharmacists.
Jamie Wigston, a New Westminster pharmacist and former president of the B.C. Pharmacy Association, says he believes the rise of various respiratory viruses resembling COVID-19, the flu and RSV have led to the shortages.
“There’s just such a large influx of people needing cough and cold products and so the companies that are making them, it’s just hard to keep up with demand,” he stated, including that heightened public concern over the previous yr has been over shortages of steadily used medicines.
“There’s always a shortage of something and this is a shortage of medication that is a lot more common for people.”
First, it was a scarcity of youngsters’s ache medicines, now pharmacies throughout Canada say their shares of flu and chilly meds for adults are operating low.
In a press release, a spokesperson for the workplace of the Minister of Health stated they’re conscious of the continued scarcity.
“We are closely monitoring the situation as it is evolving quickly,” Guillaume Bertrand stated.
“Our office and Health Canada is already in discussion with manufacturers here in Canada and abroad.”
Wait till sick earlier than shopping for medicine: pharmacist
Vancouver-based household doctor Anna Wolak says there isn’t any trigger for main concern with this particular scarcity, as chilly and flu medicine primarily present symptomatic reduction and should not essential to heal from sicknesses.
She recommends utilizing Tylenol or Advil to deliver down fevers, and utilizing dwelling treatments like honey with scorching water to deal with coughs and congestion.
Wigston additionally recommends going again to the fundamentals: “If the cough is really dry, there’s still a lot of lozenges available,” he stated.
“[If] you’re coughing up a lot of phlegm and mucus, what works as well as the medication for that, is just drinking more water. It just helps to loosen it up and make it easier to cough out.”
He additionally advises towards hoarding medicine.
“[People are] expecting to get sick at one point and so they just want to make sure they have something,” he stated.
“But during a time when there is a shortage of certain products of cough and cold, usually we like to stress the people that don’t go out and buy things preemptively. Wait until you’re actually sick.”
For these going to shops to seek out any obtainable medicine, Chin recommends talking with a pharmacist for recommendation on particular wants.
“Go up to your pharmacist and just tell them what you need,” he stated, “what are your symptoms and they’ll be able to let you know specifically what’s the best option for you.”
