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
XYLOCAINE 2% ASPEN PHARMACARE CANADA INC. Actual shortage 20MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 209396
SENSORCAINE ASPEN PHARMACARE CANADA INC. Actual shortage 5MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 209399
QUETIAPINE TABLETS ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 25MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212202
CEREBYX SEARCHLIGHT PHARMA INC Resolved 75MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 189469
DUTASTERIDE SANIS HEALTH INC Resolved 0.5MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 200468
POTASSIUM ACETATE INJECTION USP OMEGA LABORATORIES LIMITED Resolved 39.2% Updated Report 2023-12-02 204135
CUPRIMINE BAUSCH HEALTH, CANADA INC. Actual shortage 250MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 206596
EMLA CREAM ASPEN PHARMACARE CANADA INC. Actual shortage 2.5% 2.5% Updated Report 2023-12-02 209402
CYKLOKAPRON 100 MG/ML PFIZER CANADA ULC Actual shortage 100MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212036
ACH-PREGABALIN ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Resolved 150MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 209753
ACH-TELMISARTAN ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 80MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212184
ACH-ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 40MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212187
ACH-ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 40MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212199
ACH-ATORVASTATIN CALCIUM ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 20MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212210
ACH-OLMESARTAN ACCORD HEALTHCARE INC Actual shortage 20MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212213
APO-DICLO SR APOTEX INC Actual shortage 100MG New Report 2023-12-01 212392
APO-BROMFENAC APOTEX INC Actual shortage 0.07% New Report 2023-12-01 212389
APO-PERINDOPRIL/AMLODIPINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 2.5MG 3.5MG New Report 2023-12-01 212386
APO-HYDROMORPHONE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 2MG New Report 2023-12-01 212383
APO-SUMATRIPTAN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 50MG New Report 2023-12-01 212380
APO-TERBINAFINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 250MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 212377
APO-DOXYCYCLINE MR APOTEX INC Actual shortage 40MG New Report 2023-12-01 212374
APO-METHYLPHENIDATE ER APOTEX INC Actual shortage 27MG New Report 2023-12-01 212371
APO-DARIFENACIN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 15MG New Report 2023-12-01 212368
APO-DOXYLAMINE/B6 APOTEX INC Actual shortage 10MG 10MG New Report 2023-12-01 212365
APO-METFORMIN ER APOTEX INC Actual shortage 500MG New Report 2023-12-01 212362
APO-LABETALOL APOTEX INC Actual shortage 100MG New Report 2023-12-01 212359
APO-WARFARIN APOTEX INC Actual shortage 1MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 210698
APO-FELODIPINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 10MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 211484
APO-FELODIPINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 5MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 210689
APO-COLESEVELAM APOTEX INC Actual shortage 625MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 210674
APO-LABETALOL APOTEX INC Actual shortage 200MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209964
APO-DULOXETINE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 30MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 208417
APO-TRAZODONE TABLETS 100MG APOTEX INC Actual shortage 100MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 208376
APO-ONDANSETRON APOTEX INC Actual shortage 4MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 199536
APO-PERINDOPRIL-INDAPAMIDE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 1.25MG 4MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 198505
APO-METFORMIN ER APOTEX INC Actual shortage 1000MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 189647
APO-AMOXI CLAV APOTEX INC Actual shortage 125MG 875MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 204990
APO-ATORVASTATIN APOTEX INC Resolved 80MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 211493
APO-ATORVASTATIN APOTEX INC Resolved 80MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 210695
APO-MIRTAZAPINE APOTEX INC Resolved 30MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 210662
APO-SILDENAFIL APOTEX INC Resolved 50MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 208414
APO-RISPERIDONE APOTEX INC Actual shortage 0.50MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209957
APO-RISPERIDONE APOTEX INC Resolved 2.0MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 205002
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 2MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209904
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 2MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209901
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 20MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209916
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 20MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209898
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 30MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209913
APO-ARIPIPRAZOLE APOTEX INC Resolved 30MG Updated Report 2023-12-01 209892

Discontinuation Reports

Brand name Company Name Status Strength Update Date Updated View Report
RIVA-LEVOFLOXACIN LABORATOIRE RIVA INC. Discontinued 250MG Updated Report 2023-12-02 212224
RIVA-LEVOFLOXACIN LABORATOIRE RIVA INC. Discontinued 750MG New Report 2023-12-01 212230
RIVA-LEVOFLOXACIN LABORATOIRE RIVA INC. Discontinued 500MG New Report 2023-12-01 212227
TAZORAC ALLERGAN INC Discontinued 0.05% Updated Report 2023-12-01 204564
STIEVA-A GLAXOSMITHKLINE INC Discontinued 0.025% Updated Report 2023-11-29 200920