CALGARY -- Even a trip on foot to the grocery store can be taxing on the lungs of a person who suffers from asthma.
That's the reality for Ayon Dey.
He has moderate asthma but requires an inhaler every day and a rescue inhaler, or Ventolin, in emergency situations.
"If I don’t take it and try to wait it out, it could be several hours before I return to normal breathing," said Dey.
The Ventolin inhaler Dey needs is becoming hard to find at retail pharmacy stores.
Rahim Rajan, a pharmacist with Capsule Pharmacy, says he’s noticed a shortage in the last few weeks and some days he can’t order any.
He says a combination of increased demand for the inhalers in hospitals and people stockpiling them during the pandemic are reasons for the drop in supply.
"It’s unfortunate because the people who need these inhalers as rescue medication when (there is) an exacerbation of asthma or COPD symptoms, they’re not able to access these medications," Rajan said.
"We’ve been noticing supply disruption for the last couple of weeks and we’re doing our best to manage our inventory levels."
CTV News reached out to eight other pharmacies across the city and all confirm their Ventolin inhaler supplies are low.
Health Canada issued an advisory acknowledging a shortage of salbutamol inhalers across the country. Ventolin falls under that category of inhalers.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has led to reported shortages and limited supply of this product in Canada. Health Canada is taking steps to mitigate the impact of the shortages and is providing advice to Canadians on how to conserve supply," an official statement reads.
Meanwhile pharmacists like Rajan hopes common sense will prevail.
"I would recommend that people only try to fill one inhaler at a time even though it may not last the full month. The less people use, the more access there are for people who actually need them," he said.
Rajan says he believes suppliers are doing the best they can to ensure equitable distribution for retail pharmacies across the country.
Meanwhile, Dey is limiting his time outside and trying to conserve as much of his existing supply as he can.
"I feel lucky that my situation is where it is. I can’t even imagine what kind of anxiety for people who need Ventolin daily have because they wake up and they’re constricted."
