Canada lists blood pressure medication on drug shortages site

Canada has listed two brands of the high blood pressure medication Chlorthalidone on its drug shortages site.

Chlorthalidone is used alone or together with other drugs to lower high blood pressure or hypertension, increasing the flow of urine in order to decrease the amount of water in the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The pharmaceutical companies Apotex Inc. and JAMP Pharma Corp., both said the shortages were due to “disruptions” in manufacturing the medication.

Drug Shortages Canada, the website for mandatory reporting of drug shortages and discontinuation, listed the shortages of the two brands of Chlorthalidone drugs.

One of the brands is APO-Chlorthalidone’s 50 mg tablets, manufactured by Apotex Inc., a pharmaceutical company based in Toronto. The shortage, which began last year on Dec. 17, is expected to end around June 20.

The shortages also affect the brand JAMP Chlorthalidone’s 50 mg, 25 mg and 12.5 mg tablets. The drugs are manufactured by JAMP Pharma Corp., based in Boucherville, Que. The shortages for these products are estimated to end on May 31.

All these shortages were not classified as “tier 3” shortages and are not considered critical. Tier 3 shortages are those that have the “greatest potential impact” on the country’s drug supply and health care system.