Quebec pharmacy shelves still bare as children's Tylenol shortage continues
Montreal father Daniele Insogna has made more than a dozen trips to the pharmacy this month and almost always leaves empty-handed.
He's looking for children's Tylenol.
"You ask a lot of pharmacies, 'Do you know when it's coming back in?' 'No clue.'"
Isogna has three kids below age six. His middle child, age four, has serious health issues and gets fevers often.
"I'm in the children's hospital every other week," Isogna explained.
His got sick recently, and Isogna realized they were out of children's acetaminophen.
"I pulled out Google maps and called up Pharmaprix and Jean Coutu from Beaconsfield all the way to Place Versailles, evem some in Vaudreuil and Laval," he said.
"I went so far as to call Tylenol, or Johnson and Johnson."
Across the city and country, it's hard to find over-the-counter medication for children.
The shelves have been bare for over three months -- and there's no sign of improvement.
"Tylenol, we're actually completely out. But we have one box of chewable acetaminophen, which is the generic brand," Brome Lake pharmacist Jean-Marc Belanger told CTV News.
Johnson and Johnson, the company that produces Tylenol, says it's ramped up production.
But it may not be fast enough with cold and flu season and ongoing supply chain issues.
Pharmacists warn not to panic buy and say there are backup options.
"Us pharmacists, we can buy compounded-made formulas of those medications," said Belanger. "So if we know in advance, and we know that your child must have one specific type of medication, we can find a lot of alternatives."
Insogna found an alternative after weeks of searching and countless phone calls.
"I actually found a pharmacist who had a dose for older kids that's liquid, and said, we'll give you the correct dosage to be able to give it to the kids," he said. "We're making do with that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.