Any product defined as a
drug
A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhala ...
under the
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Food and Drugs Act
The ''Food and Drugs Act'' (the ''Act'') (formal title ''An Act respecting food, drugs, cosmetics and therapeutic devices'') is an act of the Parliament of Canada regarding the production, import, export, transport across provinces and sale of f ...
must have an associated drug identification number (or DIN). A DIN also pertains to veterinary drugs permitted for sale in Canada.
The drug identification number (DIN) is the 8 digit number located on the label of prescription and
over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a requirement for a prescription from a healthcare professional, as opposed to prescription drugs, which may be supplied only to consumers possessing a valid prescr ...
products that have been evaluated by the
Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) and approved for sale in Canada.
Once a drug has been approved, the Therapeutic Products Directorate issues a DIN, which permits the manufacturer to market the drug in Canada. For drugs, where there is minimal market history in Canada, there is a more stringent review and the drug is required to have a Notice of Compliance and a DIN in order to be marketed in Canada.
A DIN lets the user know that the product has undergone and passed a review of its formulation, labeling, and instructions for use. A drug product sold in Canada without a DIN is not in compliance with Canadian law, with limited exceptions, such as foreign drug products imported under emergency authorization.
The DIN is also a tool to help in the follow-up of products on the market, recall of products, inspections, and quality monitoring.
A drug product can be looked up via its DIN with the Health Canada's Drug Product Database (DPD) to find specific information of drugs approved by the Ministry.
See also
*
National Drug Code
*
Pharmaceutical code
References
External links
Health Canada DIN fact sheet
Pharmacological classification systems
Pharmacy in Canada
Identifiers
{{Pharmacy-stub