IN THE LEDGE – Parents stressed at shortage of kids’ pain medication

Debate between Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone and Health Minister Adrian Dix in the B.C. Legislature on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022:

T. Stone: … Across British Columbia, parents are increasingly stressed trying to deal with a growing shortage of children’s pain medication like Tylenol and Advil. The problem is hurting parents like Amber from Victoria who says: “I’m a single mom that doesn’t drive, and I cannot force my three kids out of the house to search high and low for Tylenol when they’re sick.”

Just yesterday the Prime Minister said that the provinces should be taking action. But we’ve heard nothing from the B.C. Health Minister about actions that are being taken here to secure a supply of children’s pain medication.

As more and more kids get sick this fall, parents are stuck watching their kids in pain while being unable to find the medicines that they need to give to their children. So a simple question to the Minister of Health: what is he doing to ensure that parents have access to the critical pain medication that their kids need as they get sick this fall?

Hon. A. Dix: Of course, some of these issues are issues everywhere in the world. They’re issues throughout the United States. They’re issues throughout Canada and in all jurisdictions in Canada. Health authorities, especially our teams dealing with children around the province, are taking steps, of course, to provide supply. But some of this is about private sector supply chains, so there is a significant role for the federal government.

I had not heard before the contribution of the Prime Minister to this discussion. But I can tell you, this is an issue in the past number of weeks I discussed with his Health Minister and one that all jurisdictions have to work together on — but also the providers and the manufacturers of the very medication in question have to work together on — to improve.

I agree with the hon. member. It is absolutely a priority for parents and all those in the system. These are issues in terms of supply that we have worked on in other issues, and he is well aware because it affected his riding. We have consistently worked during the pandemic, when there have been shortages, to get care and medication to the people who need it. But this is an international problem in terms of supply and one that we have to do everything we can….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Please continue.

Hon. A. Dix: I think we have to do everything we can to address these questions, working with both the manufacturers and the federal government to see that that happens.

Source: B.C. Hansard