Alberta nurse practitioner says shipment of children’s pain medication only a short-term fix

A parent and nurse practitioner is calling Alberta’s move to secure children’s medication a “band-aid” solution.

The Alberta government says it has secured another five million bottles of children’s fever and pain medication amid a Canada-wide shortage.

It’s relief for parents and pharmacists alike.

BACKGROUND: Alberta to bring in 5M bottles of children’s pain medication

But nurse practitioner Reanne Booker says it’s not a long-term solution.

“I think that the announcement of more ibuprofen and acetaminophen is welcomed by most parents, likely, but I do think it’s a bit of a band-aid on a gaping wound.”

Booker says while getting children’s medicine back on pharmacy shelves is good news, more needs to be done to prevent kids from getting sick in the first place – like masking and good ventilation.

“We’ve been here before, we know what works,” she said. “Nobody loves wearing masks but if it is something that can potentially help save someone’s life, or save someone from the hardship or distress of having a sick kid in the hospital, I would do it in a heartbeat.

“Right now we need to think of kids, and what they and their parents are going through, and do whatever we can to protect them.”

WATCH: ‘I’ve never seen it this bad’: Pharmacies continue to face medicine shortages

Booker says the province also needs to put in place programs that allow parents to take care of their kids when sick.

“I do think there should be support for parents to stay home with their kids when they are unwell,” said the Alberta mom.

Tuesday’s announcement from Premier Danielle Smith comes as rates of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV and influenza have skyrocketed in Canada in recent weeks.

Smith says the new shipment will ease pressures on hospitals.

As a nurse, Booker sees first-hand the strain on the health-care system. She says over-the-counter medication isn’t enough.

“Those people and kids unfortunately who are in hospitals, it isn’t for things that Tylenol and Advil can easily fix,” said Booker. “So I would like to see more of a message on prevention. Ideally we would like to prevent our kids from getting sick in the first place.”

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The Opposition NDP echoed those same calls, saying while they are pleased to know children’s medicine will become more widely available, they’re calling on the UCP to implement an emergency action plan to alleviate the issues in Alberta hospitals.

Meanwhile, there’s no exact timeline for when the new supply will available. The Alberta government says it is working with Health Canada on getting it approved, and hope to see it on pharmacy shelves within a few weeks.