A polished label or Canadian-looking website is not proof that a drug is authorized. Health Canada provides a public database that lets you check the exact product.
Use the Drug Product Database and match the brand, ingredient, manufacturer, route, and eight-digit DIN. A near match is not enough.
Step 1: find the eight-digit DIN
Drug products authorized for sale in Canada generally display an eight-digit Drug Identification Number. A seller may write “DIN approved” or show a number, but you should verify the number directly rather than relying on the claim.
Step 2: search the Drug Product Database
Open Health Canada’s Drug Product Database. You can search by DIN, brand name, active ingredient, or manufacturer. The database is updated nightly.
If a broad ingredient search returns several results, compare the details carefully. Similar ingredients may appear in products with different formulations, strengths, routes, labels, and manufacturers.
Step 3: match the complete product
Check at least:
- brand and manufacturer;
- active ingredient and strength;
- dose form and route of administration;
- DIN;
- current status;
- the official product monograph, when available.
An authorized semaglutide product, for example, would not validate an unrelated vial labelled with the same ingredient, a custom blend, a different route, or a seller that cannot be matched to the record.
Step 4: read the status and monograph
Database results can include marketed, approved, dormant, and cancelled statuses. “Approved” and “currently marketed” are not necessarily the same. The product monograph describes the authorized conditions of use, safety information, contraindications, and other regulator-reviewed details.
Step 5: recognize what the database cannot prove
A matching database record does not prove that the item in your hand is authentic, properly stored, lawfully dispensed, or appropriate for you. Counterfeit or mislabelled products can copy a real brand name or DIN. Prescription drugs should be obtained through a licensed pharmacy on the advice of an authorized prescriber.
Trials use a different database
Health Canada’s Clinical Trials Database lists certain trials that received authorization to proceed. A trial record is not market authorization, and the database is not a complete registry of every trial. Use it to investigate research – not to infer that a product is approved or available.
Red flags that warrant extra caution
- No DIN is shown for a product represented as a drug.
- The number does not return the exact product and manufacturer.
- The product is labelled “research use only” but marketed with human benefits.
- The seller guarantees results, minimizes risks, or offers injection protocols.
- A prescription drug is sold without a prescription or licensed-pharmacy process.
When the details do not match, do not assume the product is authorized. Health Canada accepts reports about suspected illegal health products through its online complaint process.
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