A prescription slip in hand, a patient steps into the pharmacy only to find relief is out of stock. It’s a scenario playing out across Canada as the painkiller shortage tightens its grip, leaving patients and pharmacists navigating uncharted waters.
Acetaminophen with codeine and acetaminophen with oxycodone have become scarce, and not just in big city hospitals. These medications, essential for acute injuries and chronic pain alike, are now the subject of national attention. At the heart of this shortage: manufacturing disruptions at Teva Canada Limited, a key supplier, causing a cascade that competitors can’t fully address. A delay in receiving the active pharmaceutical ingredient triggered a bottleneck, slowing production lines and setting off a scramble across the industry.
Pharmaceutical supply chains, always a bit of a house of cards, revealed their fragility yet again. When Teva stumbled, Apotex and Laboratoire Riva felt the shockwaves, unable to compensate for the lost volume. The result is a domino effect—one company’s trouble multiplies, and soon, pharmacies everywhere feel the pinch. According to Health Canada, the agency is working closely with manufacturers, healthcare providers, and provinces to monitor and respond. But broad solutions take time.
On the front lines, pharmacists have become resourceful guides. Sadaf Faisal of the Canadian Pharmacists Association reassures patients not to panic: “There are alternatives available.” But with every missing shipment comes extra work for already stretched healthcare teams. Mina Tadrous, a University of Toronto pharmacy professor, notes the knock-on effects can be burdensome for clinics and patients alike.
The confusion often swirls with rumour. Some worry care will be compromised, but experts insist alternative treatments remain. Still, there’s a lesson here in how quickly cracks in the pharmaceutical network can widen, leaving both patients and providers improvising solutions. For many, the return to normal supply—promised by September—cannot come soon enough.
References:
There’s a painkiller shortage in Canada. Here’s what to know
