Ottawa, ON — Dr. Stephen Ellis, Shadow Minister for Health, Laila Goodridge, Shadow Minister for Addictions, Todd Doherty, Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Matt Jeneroux, Shadow Minister for Supply Chains released the following statement regarding the House of Commons Health Committee study on Over-the-Counter Pediatric Medication:
“This week, Conservatives introduced a motion at the Health committee that would require Health Canada to provide a weekly update on the number of infant and children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen doses that arrived in Canada that week.
“After months of shortages, the Liberals claimed they have secured a foreign supply of infant and children’s acetaminophen that will be available ‘in the coming weeks’ but refused to provide a clear timeline.
“Rather than prioritizing this crisis and being transparent with moms and dads with sick kids, the Liberals and their NDP coalition partners on the committee voted to adjourn debate and avoid voting on this motion.
“The government announced one shipment, but by refusing to commit to providing regular updates parents will be back in this situation again in weeks when the top-up runs out. Moms and dads deserve to know when these medications are hitting the shelves. Instead, they are being forced to watch their children suffer in pain after months of inaction and failure from the Liberal government to prioritize this national shortage.
“This was and remains an insult to thousands of Canadian families across our country who continue to cross the border to the US where there is no shortage of these medications or take their sick kids to overflowing emergency departments because they struggle to manage fever and pain symptoms at home.
“In a healthcare crisis, oversight and accountability is more important than ever. Canadians deserve to know when retail shelves will be stocked with basic children’s pain and fever medications.
“We are calling on the government to immediately table an implementation plan that includes a clear date of when retail shelves will be stocked with these essential medications. Conservatives are listening to moms and dads and if the Liberal government won’t prioritize this, Conservatives will. We will continue to push the Liberals until these supply shortages are solved to ensure the health and safety of Canadian children.”
