Yoshi Ito News Today

The shortage is being chalked up to unusually high demand due to COVID-19, a worse flu season than usual, and supply issues owing to factors like labour shortages and lockdowns in China, preventing the flow of certain ingredients and packaging.

Just as cold and flu season arrives, many Vancouver Island residents are noticing medicine shelves at pharmacies are bare, especially for items like kids cough medicine. Its a problem thats being felt across the region.

Pharmacists are calling for the B.C. government to allow them to prescribe medication for minor ailments, especially as the provinces doctor shortage continues to impact nearly a million residents.

A South Island pharmacist is warning residents that drug shortages could unexpectedly occur at their local pharmacies.

  VICTORIA -- Some folks in Colwood felt lucky Wednesday after getting a surprise second dose of AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine. Peoples Pharmacy, located on Sooke Road, received a batch of 200 doses of the vaccine last week, and only administered a portion of it before getting notice that it should hold off booking more appointments for first doses. Pharmacist Yoshi Ito says they were told last week by health officials they could honour existing appointments, but not make additional appoin...