The Prescription Drug List

Changes to the Food and Drugs Act (section 29.1) will give the Minister of Health the power to establish a list that sets out prescription drugs.

The Prescription Drug List is a list of medicinal ingredients that when found in a drug, require a prescription. It does not include medicinal ingredients that when found in a drug, require a prescription if those ingredients are listed in Controlled Drugs and Substances Act Schedules.

The list includes line listings of ingredients, their salts and derivatives when appropriate, some examples of these ingredients, any applicable qualifiers, and the date the listing came into effect. The list has two sections: one that pertains to human use and the other to veterinary use. Any updates to the list are published on a weekly basis.

Notices of Changes to the Prescription Drug List

Health Canada publishes notices to inform stakeholders of consultations and amendments related to changes to the Prescription Drug List. If you are interested in being kept informed on updates to the Prescription Drug List, please subscribe to the Prescription Drug List RSS feed. If you subscribe, you will be notified each time a notice is posted to the Health Canada website.

Related Resources

• A question-and-answer document explains the administrative process for assigning prescription status.
• The guidance document, Determining Prescription Status for Human and Veterinary Drugs, explains the broad principles and factors that Health Canada considers when deciding whether a drug would be best sold as a prescription drug or a non-prescription product.
• The Food and Drug Regulations required amendments to replace Schedule F with the Prescription Drug List. Health Canada published these amendments in Canada Gazette, Part II on June 19, 2013.