Critical Alert: Canada’s Shortage of Oxycodone-Containing Painkillers Expected to Last into the New Year
Canadian health authorities and pharmacists are alerting the public that a significant shortage of medications containing oxycodone, widely prescribed for acute and chronic pain management, is expected to continue well into the new year.
The prolonged disruption, which began earlier in the year due to manufacturing issues, is causing widespread logistical challenges and placing extra pressure on the nation’s already strained healthcare system, including the dental sector.
The Scope of the Shortage
The current disruption primarily affects drugs containing acetaminophen with oxycodone (including brand names like Percocet). This follows an earlier shortage of drugs containing acetaminophen with codeine (like Tylenol 3), which pharmacists confirm has largely been restocked. However, the supply of oxycodone-containing medications remains constrained.
The manufacturer has indicated that while some supply may become available in December, constraints due to accumulated backorders mean the situation is unlikely to fully resolve until sometime after the new year.
Impact on Dental Patients and Providers
While these medications are prescribed for a wide range of ailments, the dental community heavily relies on them to manage severe post-operative pain following complex procedures such as wisdom tooth extractions, complicated root canals, and major oral surgery.
The shortage creates several challenges for dental professionals and their patients:
Switching Medications: When a primary painkiller is unavailable, health providers must prescribe alternatives with similar ingredients. As an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s pharmacy faculty noted, switching a patient's painkiller can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, complicating the management of acute pain.
Strain on the System: The need to find and approve alternatives adds administrative burden to dental offices and pharmacies, placing pressure on a system already dealing with an average of 1,500 to 2,000 active drug shortages at any given time.
Patient Distress: Patients undergoing painful procedures face the added stress of uncertain medication availability, highlighting the critical importance of early communication between patients, dentists, and pharmacists.
Experts urge both patients and healthcare teams to be proactive: "Talking to pharmacists and a team early before you run out of medications is so important because no one wants to be dealing with it the day that you have nothing left." The lengthy process of replenishing common medications means that once a supply chain break occurs, recovery takes months.
Original Article Details
Original Title: Prescription painkillers shortage in Canada expected to continue into new year
Source: Oral Health Group (Content via The Canadian Press)
Author: Hannah Alberga
Publication Date: November 5, 2025