Alberta Health Services (AHS) has released a statement on the use of pain medication imported from the Middle East.
In a release issued on Jan. 10, 2024, AHS states that acetaminophen was imported from Turkey last winter but only used for two months before its use was discontinued due to “adverse” reactions or events.
The release notes that the decision to discontinue using the imported pain medication in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) was made due to the higher viscosity of the drug, increasing risks of clogged feeding tubes, and not because of injury or illness as a result of the medication use.
“In healthcare, the terminology “adverse reaction” does not mean patients were injured. In this case, adverse reactions included patients not tolerating the taste of the imported medication or the volume,” states the release.
Continuing, the release notes that the need for an unnecessary procedure, such as changing a clogged feeding tube, qualifies as an “adverse event.”
The medication was used in early 2023 by AHS sites when Canada was experiencing shortages of children’s pain relievers like acetaminophen and ibuprofen due to domestic producers being unable to meet demand.
Atabay, the manufacturer of the acetaminophen referred to in the AHS release, is certified for Good Manufacturing Practices in the United States, Japan, Australia, and the European Union; additionally, the company is the sole manufacturer of the drug in the European Union, North Africa, and the Middle East.
The additional supply of children’s pain medication provided assurance, long-term, for our stock of acetaminophen in AHS facilities at a time of a global shortage and high demand.