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
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.