Yellowknife is in the midst of an EpiPen shortage, and new doses of the medication for life-threatening allergies may not arrive at pharmacies until early September.
The EpiPen delivers an emergency injection of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, which is a medication used to reduce the effects of anaphylaxis.
Last week Health Canada issued an alert stating that EpiPens are expected to be in short supply at pharmacies across Canada for the month of August.
That shortage has reached Yellowknife.
Shoppers Drug Mart, Sutherland's Drugs and the pharmacies at Trevor's Your Independent Grocer and Walmart each have one or zero EpiPens in stock.
On Wednesday, Sutherland's Drugs had one EpiPen Junior, which is meant for a child and contains a smaller dose of the drug, and no regular EpiPens.
“The concerning part is that there's not really a lot of alternatives,” Aaron LaBorde, a pharmacist at Sutherland's Drugs, said of the EpiPen on Wednesday.
“It's a potentially life-saving medication, it's not like something that somebody takes as an elective medication.”
LaBorde said EpiPens have been scarce for the last couple months.
EpiPens are a product of drug giant Pfizer Canada.
The company is the sole supplier of epinephrine auto-injectors in Canada.
In a statement on its website, Pfizer Canada says “Throughout 2018, there has been limited supply of auto-injectors at wholesalers, distributors and pharmacies in Canada.
“Pfizer understands the importance of this medically-necessary medicine to Canadian patients and continues to take action to expedite delivery of product to the market.”
Other companies make pre-loaded, injectable epinephrine devices, but their products are not available in Canada, said LaBorde.
On Wednesday, the Walmart pharmacy had one EpiPen in stock and five patients waiting to purchase the medication.
Health Canada says using an expired EpiPen is an option, and that anyone experiencing an anaphylactic reaction should contact emergency services immediately.
Walmart pharmacist Jaira De Los Nieves said an expired EpiPen is fine as long as the liquid is clear.
“If (the medication) is turbid or cloudy, obviously they shouldn't be using it,” she said.
De Los Nieves said Walmart has been short on EpiPens for about a month.
Spokesperson Damien Healy said the territorial Department of Health and Social Services is having “no issues with the EpiPen shortage," in hospitals.