Alberta Premier Danielle Smith vowed help was on the way in the form of children’s liquid acetaminophen and now that medication arrived..On Wednesday, Alberta’s first shipment of children’s liquid acetaminophen arrived via airplane and will be distributed to hospitals across the province immediately..“This is a great first step and I am so pleased we've been able to secure additional children’s medicine for our hospitals. But we cannot and will not rest with this first shipment," Smith said..This shipment of 250,000 bottles will bolster supply to hospitals in the province, making sure access to medication is not delayed and children who are being treated on site can get the pain and fever relief they need.."We need approval of the rest of the medication so parents can use them at home," Smith said.."We're in the midst of an exceptionally difficult winter, made more stressful for parents by the shortage of basic medications. Kids and families are waiting for these medications and we need Health Canada to approve them without further delay.”.In order to receive Health Canada approval, the manufacturer was required to submit a proposal outlining information on the medicine’s quality, safety and product packaging..Health Canada reviewed the proposal and requested additional information as well as a number of changes to meet Canada’s regulatory requirements. One of these changes was the need to add child-resistant caps to the bottles for the retail use supply..In the interim, an initial shipment was approved for hospital use only, as child-resistant caps are not a regulatory requirement when medicine is administered by medical professionals in a hospital..As a result, rather than wait for the total shipment, the UCP government opted to receive a first shipment with medicines for hospital use..“I’d like to thank our dedicated health professionals for providing the very best of care to our children during these challenging times," Minister of Health Jason Copping said.."This much-needed supply will help Alberta’s hospitals manage pain and fevers for children across the province.”.The final requirement for child-proof caps has been addressed and the manufacturer has provided all information requested by Health Canada..The UCP government is now awaiting Health Canada’s approval of the remaining 4.75 million bottles for retail sale across the province, as are Alberta parents and guardians..Once received, the medications will be provided to pharmacies for sale at prices in line with the usual retail price. The government is paying a small premium over the expected retail price to secure the medications at a time when there has been global shortages..The full cost will be released when the medication is approved by Health Canada.
