'It’s not the right stuff': Turkish-made pain syrup for kids reaches Alberta pharmacies

Alberta has found a solution to Canada’s shortage of children’s pain and fever medication, but some pharmacists are questioning at what cost. One third of the 750,000-bottle order of the children’s acetaminophen Parol from Atabay Pharmaceuticals in Turkey has arrived in Alberta. with the remaining shipments expected by the end of March. The province announced the deal to secure five million bottles of the medication in early December 2022. The glass-bottled pain reliever has a lower concentration than similar Canadian-authorized products. Parol is a 24 mg/ml oral suspension with a graduated spoon, while others have a concentration of 32 mg/ml and different dosing device. To mitigate potential risks, a recent bulletin from Alberta Blue Cross advises that Parol be kept behind the dispensary in community pharmacies and that pharmacists should expect to provide counselling and education to parents/caregivers on the safe and correct usage. While she hasn’t received any shipments of Parol yet, Trisha Molberg, pharmacy manager at Sandstone Pharmacies in Calgary, expects there will be confusion for patients when it does arrive, with the potential for under or over-dosing. “I appreciate this is an unusual problem to have as we had none of it and now we have too much of it, but it’s not the right stuff,” she said. “It’s difficult enough considering all the medications that contain acetaminophen when we’re trying to explain it to patients and I think this could add another layer of confusion.” In the meantime, Molberg says her team has gotten around past shortages by having these medications compounded for kids. “I never ran into issues at all . . . and that’s in the same concentration as what’s commercially available.” Margaret Wing, chief executive offer at Alberta Pharmacists’ Association, says inconsistent supply to community pharmacies of any brand of pediatric pain and fever medication has been a real concern over the last few months. “Without OTC medication available to parents, they are often forced to access hospitals or emergency rooms to treat their children with fevers.” Wing says pharmacists and parents are used to medications having different strength and dosing requirements. “Toxicity or interactions are not likely to increase with Parol as the concentration is lower than Tylenol. Even though Parol must be kept behind the counter, the supply is available and predictable.” Parol also has a two-year expiry date making it more stable than a pharmacist-compounded alternative, she added. Read: Federal government announces $80M for critical drug initiative in Alberta

'It’s not the right stuff': Turkish-made pain syrup for kids reaches Alberta pharmacies

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