Alberta health minister says children's pain meds from Turkey are safe for patients overseas

Alberta's health minister is standing by the possibility of donating children's medications to patients in Ukraine, despite the fact the painkillers were deemed a risk in the province.

On Monday, Adriana LaGrange called the children's acetaminophen, manufactured by Turkey-based Atabay Pharmaceuticals, "good quality drugs."

In 2022, the provincial government paid $70 million for five million bottles of children's acetaminophen and ibuprofin amid a domestic shortage of children's pain medication.

About 30 per cent of the shipment has been received to date. However, the province is sitting on about 1.4 million bottles of medication after health officials determined it posed risks when given to infants.

Staff in Alberta's neonatal intensive care units found that "the imported product had a higher risk of clogging feeding tubes, due to higher viscosity," according to a document re-released after a Freedom of Information request. That led to the decision to stop using the imported pain medication in those units, the document said.

The product was used by Alberta Health Services for roughly two months.

On Friday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said her government was working on a deal to send the unused children's pain medication to Ukraine. Smith said that an unnamed group approached the government with the idea to ship the medication to war-torn areas.

LaGrange was asked Monday why the government would transfer the medication to Ukraine after ruling it out for use in Alberta NICUs.

She told reporters that there is a difference in equipment.

"My understanding is, for under the age of two, that these medications are administered through lines, intravenous lines," LaGrange said at an unrelated press conference.

"My understanding is our lines are smaller than what is used in Europe and other countries where these products are being used.… They're recommended for over the age of two. So for under the age of two, in an abundance of caution, AHS did not recommend using them. They can be used safely if they are administered properly."

LaGrange said that the idea of sending the drugs overseas stems from not wanting to see them expire unused. Details are still being finalized, she said.

The purchase of the children's medication is being included in a probe by the province's auditor general, who is also looking at chartered surgical facilities and COVID-19 personal protection equipment as part of a larger investigation into procurement and contracting processes within Alberta's health system.

No agreement yet

Health Partners International Canada told CBC News that it was "recently" approached by Alberta Health Services about a potential donation of ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

There has been an exploratory conversation, said the organization's president Lois Brown.

"We have no agreement with AHS," Brown said in a statement.

Generally, the costs of shipping donated supplies are covered by HPIC partners and/or its partner airlines, the statement said.

Since 1990, Brown said, HPIC has helped more than 35 million people in 130 countries by delivering more than $730 million worth of donated medicines and supplies.

Health Canada said AHS has been in contact about options for the remaining Turkish supply of children's pain medication and an application is still being assessed.