Conservatives are calling on the federal government to allow the import and sale of foreign-labeled versions of the same formulations of over-the-counter children's pain relievers, in response to the ongoing nationwide shortage. In a letter to Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, the Conservative MPs proposed this step as a way to alleviate parents' concerns about the ability to find the pain and fever medications they need if their children are sick. A similar step was taken in May 2020 to allow the import and sale of inhalers bearing the Spanish Aldo Union salbutamol label, due to a shortage of Canadian-branded products.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, Barrett said that if language compliance rules are changed to allow the import of these drugs from abroad, Health Canada must also provide guidance to doctors and pharmacists on how to manage them. In August, Health Canada confirmed a shortage of children's pain relief medications across the country, although in Quebec, for example, pharmacies reported supply shortages following the spring wave of COVID-19 infections.

The shortage of drugs, including liquid Tylenol tablets for children and chewable acetaminophen tablets, reported across Canada is attributed to a combination of supply chain issues similar to those that affected the availability of other drugs through the pandemic, as well as increased consumer demand due to what pharmaceutical companies described as an "unprecedented" Canadian cold and flu season.