Pharmacists in London, Ont., hope medication shortage is resolved before cold and flu season

An Ontario-wide shortage of cold and flu medication has led to partially empty shelves in pharmacies in London. 

The Ontario Pharmacists Association told CBC News in April that drug stores were seeing an increase in people looking to treat symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, due to COVID-19, influenza or the common cold, after mask mandates were lifted on March 21. 

Months later, pharmacists in London say the shortage has been further exacerbated by allergy season and ongoing supply chain issues.

"Demand is the same, but we hear patients are going from one pharmacy to the other looking for the product," said Gamal Awad, owner of Guardian Wonderland Pharmacy. 

For the past month, wholesalers of over-the-counter medications for cold and flu have been unable to make their delivery dates. Pharmacies have lost out on sales, said Awad, while customers are scrambling for back-ordered items like cough syrup, Tylenol or Advil. 

"The only thing we can ask our patients is to wait as we look back on our supplier website to see when those medications are going to be back online or when we can order them," said Fadi Shatara, a pharmacist at Chapman's Pharmacy.   

The shortage includes medication for children, said Shatara. He advises parents to refer to their doctors for alternatives if they're unable to find what they need. 

Risk of transmission is low, for now

London's medical officer of health, Dr. Alex Summers, said outdoor movement in summer generally brings a lower risk of respiratory illness transmission, even as COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.  

However, the absence of those measures and return to indoor activity mean risk for cold, flu and COVID-19 will rise in the fall and winter months. 

"The more people gather indoors, the greater the risk of transmission. The less people are wearing masks, the greater the risk of transmission, the less people are vaccinated, the greater the risk of transmission," he said. 

That leaves pharmacists like Shatara bracing for the changing seasons and hoping the medication shortage is resolved by then. 

"If it happens again, that's going to be devastating, especially with the lack of medications," he said. "Now, if that lasts until winter or fall, it's going to have a huge impact on everyone."