Calgary pharmacists dealing with painkiller shortage
Posted Aug 2, 2025 2:32 pm.
Calgary pharmacists are dealing with a Canada-wide shortage of painkillers, saying some medications just aren’t available.
Health Canada said in mid-July that pharmaceutical companies producing pain medication containing acetaminophen with codeine or oxycodone are experiencing shortages because of a spike in demand.
That includes painkillers like Tylenol #3 and #4, commonly prescribed for everything from dental work to post-surgery recovery, which are in short supply due to the nationwide shortage in pain medication.
It’s leaving pharmacists with limited stock and even fewer options, including not accommodating prescribed medication.
Watch: Canada facing shortage of common pain medications
Matthew Wasserman, a prescribing pharmacist with Pharmasave on MacLeod Trail, says it’s “affecting patients that are reliant on painkillers either for acute or chronic pain.”
“Because of the tight supply, maybe a slight increase in demand, there is a shortage, and it’s impossible to supply patients with these medications right now,” he said.
“[For] minor surgery, he’s being prescribed Percocet. He’s not gonna get it.”
Wasserman says some solutions could be found to solve the problem.
“Maybe work closer with the suppliers from the United States–at least because their market is much bigger, and in situations like these, open up a supply chain from there that can be done really quick, and then this situation altogether can be avoided,” he said.
Meanwhile, Health Canada says it’s communicating with health care providers, provincial and territorial governments, and distributors in sharing information about the shortage.
It also says the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) has a list of clinical resources to help pharmacists.
For now, pharmacists are dealing with the shortage but are urging that steps be taken to ensure they don’t run into this issue again.
