Children's acetaminophen procured by Alberta authorized by Health Canada for hospitals

Health Canada has approved the children's acetaminophen that Alberta procured from a Turkish manufacturer to be used in hospitals. 

A provincial government spokesperson confirmed the authorization was made on Dec. 30. 

The product, called Parol Suspension, contains 120 milligrams of paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen – in five millilitres, according to maker Atabay. It is used to treat pain and fever. 

Alberta announced in early December it had procured five million bottles of children's medication to deal with shortages across the country. The province planned to distribute the medication to its own hospitals and pharmacies first, then send the rest to other jurisdictions. 

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Health Canada has not yet given the OK for Alberta to distribute the paracetamol in pharmacies. The Alberta government did not say why. 

But the initial approval for hospital usage "will help alleviate some of the strain on the system," Charity Wallace, with Alberta Health, told CTV News Edmonton in a statement. 

"Once the product is authorized by Health Canada for retail use, we will work to ensure it is distributed to pharmacies throughout the province as quickly as possible."

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After that authorization, most pharmacies should receive the product "within a matter of days," Wallace added. 

In the meantime, the government is encouraging Albertans to work with pharmacists to find the most appropriate medication. 

Along with acetaminophen, Alberta says it has procured ibuprofen. 

The province expects to pay a premium for the drugs and will subsidize the cost so that pharmacies can sell them "at the average retail price." The government has not provided a final price tag for the initiative.  

The medication will arrive in multiple shipments.