Global Canadian Pharmacy provides this information to help customers understand how pharmacy regulation works in Canada and where Canadian pharmacy credentials can be checked. Canadian pharmacies are regulated at the provincial and territorial level. There is no single federal licence that covers every pharmacy in the country. Each province and territory has its own pharmacy regulatory authority responsible for pharmacies and pharmacy professionals within that jurisdiction.
Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities
The appropriate regulator depends on where a Canadian pharmacy is located. Provincial and territorial regulators maintain records relating to the pharmacies and professionals under their authority.
Depending on the regulator, publicly available information may include:
- the registered name of a pharmacy;
- its pharmacy location;
- registration or licence information;
- the names or registration status of pharmacy professionals;
- conditions or other information recorded by the regulator.
The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) maintains a directory of the pharmacy regulatory authorities across Canada. This provides a direct way to locate the regulator responsible for a particular province or territory.
How to Verify a Canadian Pharmacy
Customers who want to independently check a Canadian pharmacy can use the public register or verification service maintained by the appropriate provincial or territorial regulator. A pharmacy should be checked against the regulator for the province or territory where the pharmacy itself is located. The pharmacy name and location are usually the most useful starting points for a search. If information cannot be confirmed through an online register, the applicable regulator can be contacted directly.
Health Canada and Pharmacy Licensing
Health Canada and provincial pharmacy regulators have different roles. Health Canada regulates drug products at the federal level. Individual Canadian pharmacies and pharmacists are overseen through the applicable provincial or territorial regulatory system. For this reason, a Health Canada product authorization should not be confused with a pharmacy licence.
Drug Identification Numbers
Drug products authorized for sale in Canada receive an eight-digit Drug Identification Number, commonly known as a DIN.
A DIN identifies a specific drug product and provides information connected with matters such as its manufacturer, active ingredient, strength and dosage form. It does not identify or license the pharmacy that dispenses the medication.
Canadian drug information can be checked through Health Canada’s Drug Product Database.
Professional or Regulatory Concerns
A concern about the professional conduct of a Canadian pharmacist or the operation of a Canadian pharmacy can be directed to the regulatory authority responsible for that jurisdiction.
This is separate from routine questions about an order, payment, delivery or other customer-service matters. Provincial and territorial regulators provide their own procedures for submitting and reviewing pharmacy-related concerns.