We would like to clarify the Federal Minister of Health’s recommendation of stockpiling medications or having 3-months of medication on hand for the public. The BCPhA has reached out to the provincial Ministry of Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) asking for planners to take into consideration the potential for drug shortages around COVID-19 and the message on stockpiling.
**The BCPhA only recommends people have an adequate supply of medication on hand. Most people will normally have between 1 to 3 months on hand, and stockpiling anymore may push an already fragile system into drug shortages.
The Minister Hajdu’s office said the message was intended for more vulnerable individuals or people more likely to have encountered someone with COVID-19. They have committed to making a distinction in future messages, the CPhA said.
Chris Juozaitis
Howe Sound Pharmacy Ltd.
(604) 886-3365
208 – 1100 Sunshine Coast Hwy
Gibsons, BC V0N 1V7
