Canada has imported more children's medicines amid unprecedented demand, but the head of the Ontario Pharmacists Association warned that the supply will still need to be rationed if it is to continue.

About one million bottles of cold medicines for children have already arrived in Canada, and the federal government added that half a million more bottles are expected to arrive in the next three weeks, but Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said the supply provided by the government during the winter will not last if left on shelves.

Bates said: "If we put them on shelves, people might buy two or three bottles per customer, and if that happens, with the temporary supply we have, it won't last long... It's weeks of supply, not months."

Bates also suggested that the product should remain "behind the counter" for now, to reduce the risks of stockpiling, panic buying, and in some cases, reselling at exorbitant prices, adding: "It's a bit inconvenient for patients, but at least they can talk to the pharmacist and we can ration it per customer until we make sure there is enough for the people who need it."

Demand in Canada has increased amid the early flu season alongside the ongoing risk of COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which has been heavily filling emergency rooms in children's hospitals. The flu positivity rate in Ottawa was 23.4 percent for the week of November 13 to 19. Bates also stated that Canadian manufacturers, despite increasing production, have not been able to keep up.