Drug Price Files

Express Scripts Canada maintains a comprehensive database of prices for drug claims in Canada. The Drug Database team is dedicated to inputting and reviewing current pricing to ensure that claims are paid correctly.

Price information for each DIN is maintained in all provinces and territories where the drug is available. The applicable provincial formulary is referenced as the first source of pricing, followed by the major wholesaler or price guide for the province/territory. Manufacturer’s pricing is used as the third source. Each DIN has a Unit Price to reflect the price per tablet, capsule, gram, ml, etc. Where provincial regulations determine interchangeability, a low generic price is also shown for the DIN.

General product information for each DIN is obtained from Health Canada’s Notices of Compliance. The therapeutic class, provincial formulary (senior’s) eligibility, and other fields specific to plan setup and Drug Utilization Review are shown in the database.

Pricing information is updated following each provincial formulary update. At a minimum, wholesaler pricing for each province is reviewed and updated semi-annually. In almost every year, the majority of updates are performed quarterly. Extensive quality assurance checks have been incorporated in the update processes for the database to ensure that the information shown is complete and accurate to allow for appropriate reimbursement of drug claims.