Alberta gets approval to send Turkish-made acetaminophen to children’s hospitals

More children’s acetaminophen will be coming to shelves in Alberta after Health Canada approved a purchase from the province on Dec. 30. The drug, called Parol Suspension, is made by Turkish manufacturer Atabay Pharmaceuticals and Fine Chemicals. It contains 120 mg of acetaminophen in 5 mL. Alberta said that it had made a deal for five million bottles of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen earlier this month. It will first go to children’s hospitals suffering from shortages of acetaminophen within the province. Health Canada hasn't yet approved its distribution in community pharmacies. Read: Alberta to bring in another five million bottles of children's pain medication "Health Canada will, at times, authorize the importation of a drug with a condition that it is not to be released for use until certain safety and quality requirements are met," Health Canada spokesperson Charlaine Sleiman said to CBC News. "In the case of the Atabay Parol (Paracetamol) Suspension proposal, the Department approved both the exceptional importation and authorization for inpatient use in Alberta hospitals only,” said Sleiman. “[This] will help alleviate some of the strain on the system," Charity Wallace, a spokesperson for Alberta Health, told CTV News. "Once the product is authorized by Health Canada for retail use, we will work to ensure it is distributed to pharmacies throughout the province as quickly as possible," she said, adding that it should be a matter of days. Read: Emergency supply of children’s acetaminophen coming to ease shortages: Health Canada Dr. Kyle McKenzie, a pediatrician in Red Deer, Alta., said the new supply will certainly help, but it have more impact to put the medicine in community pharmacies as it would prevent some children from having to go to the hospital. The NDP Health Critic, MLA David Shepherd, told CBC News the announcement was hasty. "They rushed to make this announcement, make this promise to Albertans, and unfortunately, it's put Alberta families in a position now where they are waiting for something that isn't there when they need it." The government says it will pay more for the drugs than usual but will subsidize the price, so pharmacies and consumers won’t pay that higher cost. It has also said it will work with Health Canada to decide how to share any remaining supply with other provinces and territories. Read: Alberta College of Pharmacy highlights dangers of compounding kids' acetaminophen in irregular concentrations and bottle sizes

Alberta gets approval to send Turkish-made acetaminophen to children’s hospitals

Register for free access or login.

Related Topics