Drug Shortages
The following information represents information supplied by pharmaceutical companies in Canada. This information will be updated as new information is known and available.
Users who are interested in receiving automatic notifications of new entries to the Canadian Drug Shortage Database may sign up here.
It is important to note that the information collected here represents a snapshot of drug shortages that are known to a Market Authorization Holder. This list will contain shortage information regarding medications that are licensed for use in Canada.
A pharmaceutical company who knows that they will experience important delays in supplying the Canadian market with an approved medicine to meet expected patient demand (i.e. normal prescription volumes) will report this as a 'drug shortage' on this website. A 'drug shortage' could be caused by
- a problem with the maker of an active or key ingredient in a drug;
- a manufacturing problem or issue;
- safety issues identified at the place of manufacture (whether here or abroad);
- an unexpected increase in demand for a specific drug;
- regulatory delays in manufacturing site and/or health product approvals.
Delays in receiving prescribed medicines may be experienced in Canada that are not related to a manufacturer's ability to meet normal patient demand, but could be related to
- unexpected increases in demand for specific drugs;
- various interruptions in the normal delivery of medicines through the pharmacy supply chain and distribution network; or
- factors outside the control of a company (e.g. natural disasters).
Members of the public who are experiencing an inability to receive the medication(s) that has/have been prescribed for them should talk to the health care professional who originally wrote their prescription (normally medical doctor, pharmacist, or nurse practitioner) or their pharmacist.
Drug Shortages Records
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