Alberta reaches deal to donate imported children's pain medication to Ukraine
Alberta has reached a deal with a charitable organization to donate to Ukraine the province's surplus supply of children's pain medication it imported from Turkey two years ago in a deal that has become the subject of multiple investigations.
Montreal-based Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC) told Postmedia on Tuesday that it had struck an agreement with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to accept as many as 1.4 million bottles of acetaminophen and ibuprofen to donate to the war-torn European country.
The organization says once the donation is received, it will work with partner organizations and local government to identify where the supply is most needed.
'In essence we match what is needed to what we have available,' HIPC president Lois Brown stated in an email.
'Agreements with recipient partners include guarantees that all donated medicines will be used in accordance with applicable standard treatment guidelines.'
HIPC partner organizations typically cover the costs of transportation for donated supplies.
In April, Health Canada told Postmedia it had issued a 'no objection' letter in March to Alberta's request to donate the medication to Ukraine.
The letter requires Alberta to ensure the drugs are only sold or donated abroad for humanitarian purposes, don't violate Ukrainian laws including import approvals, and that logistics and quality oversight are overseen by a compliant drug establishment licence holder.
Turkish-base drug manufacturer Atabay had been seeking that licence though its status remains unclear.
Postmedia's queries regarding the licence as well as details on quantity, timing, and cost were directed to the office of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister Matt Jones.
AHS has previously said it was not part of the process of finalizing a donation agreement.
The medication was imported in 2023 under exceptional circumstances amid a Canada-wide shortage, and is set to expire between January and March of next year, according to internal documents previously obtained by Postmedia.
Less than a third of the planned shipment arrived, and much of the medication that did make it to Alberta went unused after the shortage ended.
The imported acetaminophen proved unpopular due to its weaker dosage, and AHS told hospital staff to stop using the it six months after it arrived, in part because its thicker consistency posed a risk of clogging feeding tubes.
The province's plan to recoup some costs by selling some of its supply to other provinces was abandoned amid unanimous lack of interest, and concern over its dosage, which is more common in Europe.
Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange served as the health minister until mid-May when the province split the health portfolio into four new roles.
In March, LaGrange described the medication as 'good quality drugs.'
'If we can't use them in Alberta, then we should be sending them to other countries,' she said.
The $70-million deal in 2022 to bring in what was to be five million bottles of acetaminophen and ibuprofen has come under scrutiny following allegations of corruption by the former head of AHS regarding the procurement and contracting process.
Those allegations have not been tested in court, and the government denies wrongdoing, but several inquiries into the deal are underway including the government's own investigation as well as others by the RCMP and Alberta's auditor general.
As of last December, $49 million of the government's contract with Atabay remains unfulfilled, with the province seeking fulfill the balance by importing an intravenous adult pain medication.
HIPC says it is the only Canadian charity licensed by Health Canada to handle donated medicines and has delivered more than $735 million in donated medicines and related supplies together with its partner organizations to over 130 countries since 1990.
mblack@postmedia.com
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