Resources

Health Canada's Drug Product Database

The Government of Canada has a very powerful, but very friendly and easy to use Drug Product Database (DPD). This database allows you to search for drug products marketed in Canada.

The product information includes, but is not limited to, Brand Name, Company Name, Ingredients, Route of Administration, Pharmaceutical Form (e.g. tablet, capsule, etc.), Therapeutic Classification (i.e. medical use) and packaging information.

You may search the database by Company Name, Product Name, Active Ingredient or Drug Identification Number (DIN).

You can also use the database to determine if a generic product(s) is available for a brand name product.

Call up the DPD Web Query http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/drugs-dpd by clicking on this address.

1. Make the choice of Active or Discontinued Products in English or French (In most cases - Select Active Products in the language of your choice).
   
   
2. Check the circle for the type of search you would like to do, i.e. Company, Product Name, Active Ingredient, etc.
   
   
3. Type in the appropriate information, i.e. if you have checked Company, type in the name of the company you want to research. If you have checked Product Name, type in the name of the product you are looking for and for Active Ingredient, type in the active ingredient name, usually a generic name.
   When you search by Company, i.e. type in a company name, you will be shown all the products that particular company makes. You may then click on any individual product to learn more about it.

If you have checked Product and typed in a product name, you will be shown the information on that specific product.

If you have checked Active Ingredient and typed in the generic name of a product, you will be shown all the products that contain that active ingredient. As an example, if you type in codeine, you will be shown all the products that contain codeine. You may then click on any individual product to learn more about it.

Please Note: On any product page, you may click on Similar Products. This will inform you of all the products available similar to the brand name products. These are the generic equivalents. If there are no products "Similar" to the brand name product sold by any company other than the brand name company, that indicates there are no generic equivalent products available in Canada.

There is a Terminology link you can click to better understand the terminology used in this database. The following information you will also find useful.

AHFS is a classification system which designates the therapeutic use of a product, i.e. anti-depressant, analgesic, etc.

Next to the ATC code you will find the generic name of a product.