Drug Product Database

What is the Drug Product Database (DPD)?

The DPD contains product specific information on drugs approved for use in Canada. The database is managed by Health Canada and includes human pharmaceutical and biological drugs, veterinary drugs and disinfectant products. It contains approximately 15,000 products which companies have notified Health Canada as being marketed.

Health Canada is the federal regulator of therapeutic products. We are not a manufacturer. We do not take or fill orders for these products. For information on where these products are sold, please contact the individual company directly.

For information related to treatment options, choices of medications and their uses, illnesses, side effects or drug interactions - contact your health care professional (for example, doctor, pharmacist, etc.). We do not provide medical advice on the use of the products identified in this database.

What's New

• Health Canada will be regularly posting a table on the Department website which reflects updated and/or new safety information in Product Monographs (PM) of brand name pharmaceutical drug products (those regulated under Division 8 of the Food and Drug Regulations only).  This table will identify the section of the PM that was updated pursuant to a Notifiable Change or Supplemental New Drug Submission.  The issuance of this table is aimed to inform generic drug manufacturers about new safety information for pharmaceutical drug products so that they can update their PMs for health care professionals and Canadians.  The table will also address Departmental commitments following the Auditor General's audit report: Regulating Pharmaceutical Drugs - Health Canada, related to improving transparency and timeliness with respect to drug safety.  For more information, please refer to the Product Monograph Brand Safety Updates page.
• Effective immediately Prescribing Information (PI) will be posted to our website. This initiative is consistent with the posting of product monographs to the Health Canada website. It also aligns with the Department's commitment to enhance transparency and openness in the drug approval process by making available Health Canada authorized, high quality and up-to-date drug information to Canadians. For additional information on this initiative, please read "Notice - Posting of Prescribing Information to the Health Canada Website".
• Please note that several DINs found in the DPD met the definition of a natural health product under the Natural Health Products Regulations. The transitional provisions outlined in section 108 of the Natural Health Products Regulations, permitted natural health products with DINs to be sold under the authorities of the Food and Drug Regulations until December 31, 2009. This date has now passed and effective January 1, 2010, those product(s) are required to be compliant with the Natural Health Products Regulations. Therefore, the DIN assigned to those products are no longer valid.
  
  As of May 27, 2010, Health Canada has cancelled the DIN(s) in accordance with C.01.014.6(c) and marking the corresponding Drug Product Database (DPD) listing as "Discontinued".
  
  As a natural health product, any compliance action for non-compliant products will be taken under the authorities of the Natural Health Products Regulations. Compliance and enforcement activities are conducted in accordance with the Health Products and Food Branch Compliance and Enforcement Policy (POL-0001 version 2) and the Compliance Policy for Natural Health Products.
• As a result of the enhancement and changes made to the DPD Online in April 2010, as of May 2010 the DPD Data Extract will be modified to accommodate a new field called 'Desc.'. This field will allow Health Canada to enter important text specific information with respect to the product. It will be added to the QRYM_DRUG_PRODUCT table.
• Note that some fields/tables have been modified to accept mixed cases.
• Administrative and functional Changes have been made to the database. Please read the notice to announce the release of a new version of the Drug Product Database Online Query  [2010-04-01].
• A list of Health Canada's recognized Pharmaceutical Forms and Routes of Administration is available in the 'DPD Online Query - Drug Product Search'. Please note that both lists provided are not exhaustive and sponsor's wishing to submit new dosage forms and/or routes of administration for consideration by Health Canada are welcome to do so. Additional definitions and uses by other regulatory agencies may also be provided for consideration when available. These lists are subject to change as we strive to ensure that the lists remain scientifically accurate and current by adding, removing, and/or modifying terms.

Information Regarding the DPD Online Query

Information available in the database includes the following parameters:

1. Brand Name
2. Description Field
3. Drug Identification Number (DIN)
4. Company
5. Drug Statuses
6. Status Date
7. Class
8. Active Ingredient(s)
9. Strength
10. Route(s) of Administration
11. Pharmaceutical Form(s)
12. Product Monograph (PM)
13. Schedule
14. Therapeutic Classification (AHFS and ATC)
15. Active Ingredient Group (AIG) Number
16. Veterinary Species

Additional information regarding the DPD online query:

• the data found in the DPD online query is updated nightly;
• use the Search Tips to help navigate the database;
• use the Terminology to get an understanding of the words used in the DPD online query;
• use the Data Extracts to download the content of the DPD online query;
• the Frequently Asked Questions document is intended to provide readers with a better understanding of Health Canada-authorized Product Monographs (PMs).

Please note that, products that were discontinued prior to 1996 are not available in this database.

Product and company information for drug products marketed in Canada can be found using the Drug Product Database Online Query.

For general questions about the contents of the DPD contact: Submission and Information Policy Division (SIPDMail)

For technical support about the database contact: DPD Data Administrator

Related Resources

• Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD)
• Transitional Drug Identification Numbers (DINs)
• Transition to Natural Health Product (NPN or DIN-HIM) status for drugs formerly classified as DIN-drugs - insurance coverage
• Cosmetic-Drug Interface