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Drugs and Vaccines

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Related Guides

For questions about drugs and vaccines, use these resources, talk to your local pharmacist or, if you require overnight assistance, call 8-1-1 and ask to speak with a pharmacist (available from 5pm to 9am every night of the week).

Drug Directories

Drugs in Canada require a prescription are regulated under the Food and Drug Regulations.

Encyclopedia of drugs supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Find drugs and conditions. Content provided by Mayo Clinic.

Learn about your prescription drugs, herbs, and over-the-counter medicines. Includes side effects, dosage, special precautions, and more. 

Search for information on drugs by name, generic, and brand.

Database of active and discontinued drugs in Canada, including human pharmaceutical and biological drugs, veterinary drugs, and disinfectant products.

Find out which drugs are currently in short supply.

Look up individual chemicals components on the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) online database.

Vaccines and Immunization

Find individual immunization schedules for different age groups and individuals at high risk from provincial health authorities.

Vaccination during pregnancy, for children, for adults, travel vaccines, and information for health professionals from the Government of Canada.

Find information about Covid-19 and influenza vaccines in British Columbia.

Safety Advisories

Check here for drug advisories, warnings, and recalls in Canada. Use the Adverse Reactions Database to search for and report adverse reactions and side effects.

Check here for any products that have been recalled by the federal government.

Counterfeit drugs are drugs not approved by Health Canada. Check here for information on how to identify and avoid these prescription medications.

Check here to see if the drugs you are taking interact with other prescriptions, food, or illness.

Pharmaceutical Regulations

Information on laws and regulations pertaining to drugs in Canada, as well as procedures for licensing and production.

The main act governing prescription drugs in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

I need the CPS.

The following drug information can be found in the CPS or Medline Plus.

  • General Information
  • Side Effects
  • Drug interactions - also try using the Drug Interactions Checker
  • Interactions between food, herbs, supplements and drugs - also try Reference Shelf's Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

How do I find out the generic name for the drug I am taking?

At what age(s) do I need to vaccinate my child? What are these vaccinations for?

Digital Library Resources

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This database offers international coverage on a wide range of public health topics.

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Thousands of high quality, full-text, downloadable encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries and travel ebooks. *Also suitable for research at the elementary, high school and undergraduate levels.

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This resource offers comprehensive medical information for students, healthcare professionals and researchers. The content is built on a core of premier scholarly journals such as: The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet and The British Medical Journal.

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Consumer friendly health information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Includes information on prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and common medical conditions.

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Everywhere for everyone
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It is the world’s leading journal of original scientific research, global news, and commentary. Only accessible at the Central Branch.

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At some VPL locations only

Recommended Titles

Cover Image for Canadian Pharmacists Association guide to drugs in Canada
Raman-Wilms, Lalitha Canadian Pharmacists Association
Call Number
615.1 C212r3
Publication Year
2013
Jargon-free guide and indispensable for all Canadians wanting to take charge of their own health, this invaluable reference make it easy to keep abreast of over 2000 medications currently available in this country.
Call Number
615.1 C73
By the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the CPS lists 2000+ product monographs for drugs, vaccines and natural health products. Continued by "CPS ... Drug Information" in 2021.

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