Medication Shortage Guides & Updates
Practical, Canada-specific guidance on drug shortages — grounded in MedShort's live shortage data, not generic advice.
Understanding Shortages
Drug Shortage vs Discontinued: What's the Difference?
The difference between a temporary drug shortage and a permanent discontinuation in Canada — and why it changes what you should do next.
What Does Estimated Resolution Date Mean for a Drug Shortage in Canada?
The estimated resolution date on a Canadian drug shortage report is a manufacturer's own forecast, not a guarantee — here's how reliable it actually is and how to use it to plan ahead.
Why Do Drug Shortages Happen in Canada? 6 Real Reasons Explained
From manufacturing failures to Canada's small market size — the 6 actual causes behind Canadian drug shortages, explained simply with real examples.
What Does a Tier 3 Drug Shortage Mean in Canada?
Tier 3 is Health Canada's most serious shortage rating, reserved for drugs with no easy alternative and high patient risk — here's what that means if your medication is rated Tier 3.
How Long Do Drug Shortages Usually Last in Canada?
Most Canadian drug shortages resolve within weeks, but some drag on for a year or more — here's what actually affects the timeline and how to check a specific drug's own shortage history instead of guessing.
How Often Are Drug Shortages Reported in Canada?
Why Canada's drug shortage list has so many active reports at any given time, what that number actually means, and how to keep track without checking constantly.
What Should I Do?
What to Do When Your Medication Is in Shortage in Canada
A step-by-step guide for Canadian patients: how to check if a shortage is still active, what an estimated resolution date means, and when to talk to your pharmacist.
How to Check if a Drug Is in Shortage in Canada
Three ways to check whether a medication is currently in shortage — by brand name or DIN, and what each Health Canada shortage status label actually means.
Can a Pharmacist Substitute a Medication During a Shortage?
When pharmacists in Canada can substitute a different brand or strength during a shortage, and when your prescriber needs to be involved.
Pharmacy Can't Fill Your Prescription in Canada? Do This Next
Your medication is out of stock and your pharmacy has no alternative in stock — here's the exact step-by-step plan to follow, including 3 questions to ask your pharmacist before you leave the counter.
Can I Use a Different Strength During a Medication Shortage in Canada?
Combining two lower-strength tablets, or splitting a higher one, isn't automatically safe — here's when a pharmacist can approve it on the spot and which drugs (like extended-release or narrow-therapeutic-index medications) it's not safe for at all.
What Are Your Rights as a Patient During a Drug Shortage?
What you're actually entitled to when your medication is in shortage in Canada — being informed, pharmacist and prescriber involvement, and what to ask.
Current Medication Shortages
Which Medications Are in Shortage in Canada Right Now?
Search any drug by name or DIN for live status, plus which drug classes — ADHD meds, GLP-1s, antibiotics, insulin — go into shortage most often.
ADHD Medication Shortage in Canada: What to Know
Why ADHD medications go into shortage in Canada more often than most drug classes, which ones are most affected, and what to do if yours is short-supplied.
7 of 103 in shortageOzempic and GLP-1 Shortage in Canada: Current Status
Why Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications have cycled in and out of shortage in Canada, how to check the current status, and what to ask your pharmacist if yours is affected.
8 of 18 in shortageInsulin Shortage in Canada: Current Status and What to Do
Whether insulin is in shortage in Canada right now, why insulin shortages get flagged faster than most, and what to do if your specific brand or formulation is affected.
2 of 10 in shortageWhy Does Amoxicillin Go Into Shortage Every Winter in Canada?
Why pediatric amoxicillin runs short in fall and winter almost every year, which formulation is usually affected, and what a pharmacist can do about it.
2 of 45 in shortageCold and Flu Medication Shortages in Canada: What to Know
Why cold and flu products run short seasonally in Canada, how OTC shortages differ from prescription ones, and what to do if a product is out of stock.
12 of 136 in shortageMezavant Shortage in Canada: Current Status
Whether Mezavant (mesalamine 1.2g) is in shortage in Canada right now, why you shouldn't stretch out doses on your own, and what to do if your pharmacy is low.
No current shortageTecnal C 1/2 Shortage in Canada: Discontinued or Just Short-Supplied?
Why Tecnal C 1/2 (butalbital/ASA/codeine/caffeine) shows both a discontinuation notice and an active shortage report, and what to do since it contains codeine.
1 of 1 in shortageProton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Shortage in Canada: Omeprazole, Pantoprazole, Rabeprazole
Why a shortage of one PPI brand rarely means the whole class is unavailable, when a pharmacist can swap manufacturers, and when it needs your prescriber.
26 of 91 in shortageGlaucoma Eye Drop Shortage in Canada: Latanoprost, Timolol Combinations, and More
Why glaucoma drops like latanoprost and dorzolamide/timolol show up in shortage reports often, why you shouldn't stop using them, and what to do instead.
1 of 12 in shortageWhy Psychiatric Medications Keep Going Into Shortage in Canada
Why antidepressants and antipsychotics like buspirone, quetiapine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, and paroxetine show up in Canadian shortage reports so often, and what to do if yours is affected.
58 of 323 in shortagePremarin Vaginal Cream Shortage in Canada: Current Status
Whether Premarin Vaginal Cream (DIN 02043440) is in shortage in Canada right now, why it's tied to a broader menopausal hormone therapy supply issue, and what to do if your pharmacy is out.
1 of 1 in shortageTecta Shortage in Canada: Current Status
Whether Tecta (pantoprazole magnesium 40mg, DIN 02267233) is in shortage in Canada right now, why it isn't always a simple swap with a generic pantoprazole product, and what to do if your pharmacy is out.
1 of 1 in shortageTomudex (Raltitrexed) Shortage in Canada: Current Status
Why Tomudex (raltitrexed 2mg/vial, DIN 02229566) was escalated to a Tier 3 shortage in September 2026, what the anticipated supply gap into 2027 means for chemotherapy scheduling, and what to do if your cancer centre is affected.
1 of 1 in shortageMenopause Hormone Therapy (HRT) Shortage in Canada: Estrogen Patches, Pills & Creams
Which menopausal hormone therapy products — Premarin, Estrace, Estradot, Climara, Estalis, Duavive — have shortage reports in Canada right now, why HRT shortages keep recurring, and what to ask your pharmacist.
7 of 35 in shortageMinoxidil (Loniten) Shortage in Canada: Tablets vs Topical
Whether Loniten (oral minoxidil 2.5mg, DIN 00514497) is in shortage in Canada right now, why a Loniten shortage doesn't affect topical minoxidil like Rogaine, and what to do if your pharmacy is out.
3 of 14 in shortageAvtozma, Actemra & Tyenne (Tocilizumab) Shortage in Canada
Whether tocilizumab — Actemra and its biosimilars Avtozma and Tyenne — is in shortage in Canada right now, what anticipated and avoided shortage reports mean, and what to ask before switching brands.
5 of 15 in shortageDiltiazem CD Shortage in Canada: Which Brands Are Affected
Which diltiazem CD capsules (Apo-Diltiaz CD, Jamp, Pro-Diltiazem CD, Sanis) are in shortage in Canada right now, why CD, SR, and XC versions aren't interchangeable, and what your pharmacist can switch you to.
16 of 114 in shortageCreon & Cotazym Shortage in Canada: Pancreatic Enzymes Status
Whether Creon and Cotazym pancreatic enzyme capsules are in shortage in Canada right now, why both brands being short at once is the real problem, and how to handle a strength change safely.
4 of 5 in shortage