Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
EDMONTON — The Alberta government says an independent investigation into procurement practices at Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services has uncovered significant concerns with how children’s pain medication was purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic, including large prepayments, delivery shortfalls and weak documentation.
The inquiry, led by former Manitoba chief judge Raymond Wyant, found procurement decisions for children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen were not consistent with established policies and lacked proper oversight.
A related forensic addendum prepared by RSM Canada found Alberta Health Services paid tens of millions of dollars up front for medication it did not receive. According to the report, AHS made payments totalling more than $41 million by mid-2023, but received fewer than 1.5 million bottles out of five million ordered.
The addendum also found a five-year, $56-million contract tied to the procurement could not be fully supported by documentation, raising questions about how the value was determined.
Investigators said limited federal approval for imports contributed to a large gap between what was ordered and what was delivered, leaving Alberta with a substantial prepaid balance for undelivered goods.
The reports say the procurement occurred under urgent pandemic conditions, but decision-makers failed to exercise adequate due diligence and did not properly address potential conflicts of interest or ensure contracts were fully reviewed.
The addendum also details what happened to the medication that did arrive. Of roughly 1.47 million bottles received, more than 800,000 were ultimately disposed of after nearing or passing expiry, while none remained in storage as of early 2026.
Despite the concerns, Wyant’s report found no evidence that elected officials or political staff acted improperly in directing or influencing the procurement process.
The government says the full report and addendum have been shared with the Office of the Auditor General for further review as the province works to strengthen oversight and transparency in future procurement decisions.
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