Notice - Release of a new version of the Drug Product Database Online Query

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April 1, 2010

Notice

Our file number: 10-106346-451

We are pleased to announce the release of a new version of the DPD (Drug Product Database) Online Query. Significant improvements and enhancements have been made to the database to respond to numerous requests from internal and external users. Some changes include, but not limited to:

• Modification to the 'STATUS' field on the Drug Product Search Page where several statuses were added to the pick list to differentiate between discontinued statuses. For more information, please consult the Terminology page for definitions or the Search Tips page for examples on how to query using these new statuses.
• Addition of a 'Description' field to the Product Information Page. This new free-form text field will allow Health Canada to enter important text specific to the product. For example, if the product information for two Drug Identification Numbers (DINs) is identical with the exception that one has a preservative and the other one does not, then a potential safety problem is created. Currently, Health Canada has created a work-around solution to address this issue. We have entered the information in the brand name in brackets; however, this is causing confusion for external stakeholders. Therefore, we have added the 'Description' field to address this issue.
• Ability to query with more than one active ingredient. This new functionality will enable users to further narrow their search by adding more than one active ingredient in the field.  The logical operators 'AND' and 'OR' can be typed directly in the active ingredient field to refine the search. For example, if a user would like to search two ingredients for an oral contraceptive manufactured by Company X, the user could enter the following in the Drug Product Search Page:
  • Under Company field: Company X
  • Under Ingredients field: levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol

  For more search examples or the use of operators, please refer to the Search Tips page.

• Addition of search fields in the Drug Product Search Page. Users can now query using new fields such as Dosage Form, Route of Administration, and Schedule. It is strongly recommended to include at least one other tombstone field such as Company, Product Name, and/or Active Ingredient(s) in order to ensure that the query is not too large. Querying only by the Dosage Form, Route of Administration, or Schedule may affect the performance of the system.
• Addition of the marketing date to the 'Product Information Page'. A new field called "Date" has been inserted below the 'Current Status'. For marketed products, this field represents the first date the product was introduced on the Canadian market. Therefore, please note that the company listed for a DIN does not necessarily represent the company that first marketed the product. For example, if a DIN was sold to another company (for example, Company X to Y) then the information found in the DPD Online for company X will be replaced by the information of company Y as a result of the DIN transfer. However, the date will remain unchanged if Company X was the first to introduce this DIN to the Canadian market. Other administrative changes including Merger and Buy-out would have the same impact on the interpretation of the date field.
• Display new result information 'Veterinary Species' to the Product Information Page. The information will only be shown if the class of the product is 'Veterinary'. The new field will be displayed directly below the 'Class' field.
• Improvement of performance. The back-end query was modified to be more responsive and return quicker results to user.
• Other minor administrative changes were completed to clarify the meaning of fields and/or to improve navigation between other important systems:
  • Under the Product Information Page, if the AHFS code is *88:28.01 for a Vitamins and Minerals product, then a caveat will be displayed detailing the representation of the asterisk. The following text will be used: "* represents an AHFS code created by Health Canada and is not found in the AHFS book".
  • The Search Results Summary Page will now display 25 results rather than showing 10 results and the display screen will slightly be modified to capture additional data such as strength.
  • Further clarification on the nomenclature of ingredients is provided in the 'Terminology' document.
  • In order to facilitate navigation, two links were added to the DPD Index Page:
    1. Link to the License Natural Health Product Database (LNHPD) which contains product specific information on those natural health products that have been issued a product licence by Health Canada; and
    2. Link to the Consumer Product Safety web page which will explain and outline the steps manufacturers and importers need to take in order to transition aluminum-based antiperspirants to cosmetics from their original classification of drug/natural health product.