Drug shortages homepage

Welcome to Drug Shortages Canada, the website for mandatory reporting of drug shortages and discontinuations by market authorization holders. Anyone can search the database of shortage and discontinuation reports. More information can be found on the About & Resources Page.

Early reporting of shortages and discontinuations provides Health Canada, provincial/territorial governments, drug supply chain stakeholders, and health professionals details needed to help them monitor and manage supply. Shortages can be caused by many factors. Some last longer and are more complex than others. Because companies have to report every time they cannot fully meet demand, not all of the reports on this site are cause for concern at the patient level. Most are successfully managed before they impact patients.

The shortage database has a flag that indicates ones that are Tier 3 drug shortages, which are those that could potentially have the highest impact on Canada's drug supply and health care system. A Tier 3 designation is decided by the Tier Assignment Committee (TAC), composed of federal and provincial/territorial governments, healthcare professionals, and industry stakeholders.

Ensuring people can get the medicines they need is a top priority for Health Canada. Health Canada works closely with many partners to prevent shortages, mitigate their impacts, and help resolve them when they occur.

If you would like to know more about shortages like why they happen, how long they last, the actions being taken to reduce impacts on Canadians, and actions you can take if a drug you use is in shortage, please consult the information on Canada.ca.

Below are the newest shortage and discontinuation reports and updates to existing ones.

Drug pills

LEGEND

!!T3 denotes an actual Tier 3 shortage/discontinuation

!T3 denotes an anticipated Tier 3 shortage/discontinuation

Shortage Reports

Brand name Company Name Status Strength Update Date Updated View Report
TEVA-BUPRENORPHINE/NALOXONE TEVA CANADA LIMITED Actual shortage 2MG 8MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 221537
APO-SERTRALINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 25MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 222481
STERILE WATER FOR IRRIGATION, USP BAXTER CORPORATION Actual shortage 100% Updated Report 2024-03-28 189568
STERILE WATER FOR IRRIGATION, USP BAXTER CORPORATION Actual shortage 100% Updated Report 2024-03-28 188299
APO-MONTELUKAST APOTEX INC Actual shortage 10MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 220456
APO-OMEPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 20MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 219840
APO-PRUCALOPRIDE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 1MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 219834
ZAMINE 21 APOTEX INC Actual shortage 0.03MG 3MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 218391
APO-TICAGRELOR APOTEX INC Actual shortage 90MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 216675
APO-NAPROXEN EC TABLETS APOTEX INC Actual shortage 250MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 219165
APO-LETROZOLE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 2.5MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 223043
APO-IBUPROFEN TAB 600MG APOTEX INC Actual shortage 600MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 215967
APO-IBUPROFEN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 400MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 222470
APO-IBUPROFEN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 200MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 221087
APO-HYDRALAZINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 25MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 216650
APO-DESVENLAFAXINE EXTENDED-RELEASE TABLETS APOTEX INC Actual shortage 100MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 220465
APO-ATORVASTATIN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 20MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 213556
EPINEPHRINE INJECTION USP HIKMA CANADA LIMITED Resolved 1MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 200978
TEVA-CEPHALEXIN 125 TEVA CANADA LIMITED Resolved 125MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 211316
TEVA-VALGANCICLOVIR TEVA CANADA LIMITED Resolved 450MG Updated Report 2024-03-28 210440

Discontinuation Reports

Brand name Company Name Status Strength Update Date Updated View Report
ISENTRESS MERCK CANADA INC To be discontinued 100MG Updated Report 2024-03-27 204160
REPATHA AMGEN CANADA INC To be discontinued 120MG New Report 2024-03-26 223420
PHENYLEPHRINE HYDROCHLORIDE INJECTION USP STERIMAX INC To be discontinued 10MG New Report 2024-03-22 223145
PHENYLEPHRINE HYDROCHLORIDE INJECTION USP STERIMAX INC To be discontinued 10MG New Report 2024-03-22 223140
SANDOSTATIN NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CANADA INC Discontinued 100MCG New Report 2024-03-22 223070
STRATTERA ELI LILLY CANADA INC Discontinued 80MG Updated Report 2024-03-22 171495
STIEVA-A GLAXOSMITHKLINE INC Discontinued 0.01% Updated Report 2024-03-20 200917
TRISPAN MEDEXUS PHARMACEUTICALS INC. Discontinued 20MG New Report 2024-03-18 222652
AVAXIM - PEDIATRIC SANOFI PASTEUR LIMITED Discontinued 80UNIT New Report 2024-03-14 222215
DELATESTRYL BAUSCH HEALTH, CANADA INC. To be discontinued 200MG New Report 2024-03-11 221772
GLUCAGEN HYPOKIT NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC Discontinued 1MG Updated Report 2024-03-06 198052
GLUCAGEN NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC Discontinued 1MG Updated Report 2024-03-06 198040
GLUCONORM 0.5MG NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC Discontinued 0.5MG Updated Report 2024-03-04 201483
GLUCONORM 1.0MG NOVO NORDISK CANADA INC Discontinued 1.0MG Updated Report 2024-03-04 201486
AGRYLIN TAKEDA CANADA INC Discontinued 0.5MG Updated Report 2024-03-01 210182
RISEDRONATE SANIS HEALTH INC Discontinued 35MG Updated Report 2024-02-29 220861
PROCTOSEDYL APTALIS PHARMA CANADA ULC To be discontinued 1% 1% 0.5% 0.5% New Report 2024-02-23 220351
!!T3 LODALIS BAUSCH HEALTH, CANADA INC. Discontinued 3.75G New Report 2024-02-20 212799
!!T3 FLOMAX CR BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM (CANADA) LTD LTEE Discontinued 0.4MG Updated Report 2024-02-17 213714
DULOXETINE SANIS HEALTH INC To be discontinued 60MG Updated Report 2024-02-15 219591