CPhA Welcomes Health Canada’s Actions to Improve Acetaminophen Safety

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) welcomes the recent announcement by Health Canada to take additional steps to minimize the risk of liver damage and improve acetaminophen safety through improved labelling standards and collaboration with stakeholders to increase awareness of the risks and remind Canadians about the safe use of acetaminophen.

Since Health Canada began its efforts to improve acetaminophen safety in 2009 with an initial safety review and updated labelling language for non-prescription acetaminophen products, CPhA has been an active participant in stakeholder consultations. Canadian pharmacies are the predominant source of most acetaminophen products sold in Canada, and pharmacists routinely counsel patients on the appropriate and safe use of this medication. Health Canada is working collaboratively with health care stakeholders, including CPhA, to review remaining risk minimization options from the 2014 Acetaminophen Report and plans to hold a technical discussion in Fall 2015 to assess changes to labelling and packaging standards, maximal doses and unit doses. Pharmacists will play a key role in explaining these changes to Canadians and ensuring that acetaminophen is taken in the most appropriate way to optimize health outcomes and minimize adverse events. CPhA will continue to work with Canadian pharmacists to ensure that they are updated on any changes that occur further to the technical discussion in Fall 2015.

July 10, 2015