Alberta Faces Scrutiny Over $70M Prepaid Turkish Medication Deal

Only 1.5 million bottles out of 5 million ordered have been approved by Health Canada, leaving $49 million in undelivered credits.

In 2022, Alberta prepaid $70 million to import five million bottles of children's pain medication from Atabay Pharmaceuticals in Turkey during a national shortage.
Health Canada has only approved 1.5 million bottles worth $21 million, leaving $49 million in undelivered credits with the supplier.
The provincial government states it is negotiating with Atabay to identify new products for approval, but no timeline has been provided for delivery.
Critics, including opposition leader Naheed Nenshi, argue the deal bypassed standard procurement practices and wasted taxpayer money, as federal supplies of Tylenol arrived earlier.
The deal has also raised ethical concerns, with reports of government officials accepting free hockey tickets from a medical supplier involved in the transaction.