NPDUIS Source Materials
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This reference document lists and describes the primary sources used by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) in the reporting conducted under the National Prescription Drug Utilization System (NPDUIS) initiative. The document is divided into two sections: Databases, which discusses data sources, and Reports and Reviews, which describes other sources of information used in analyses. Sources of information not regularly used in NPDUIS reporting are generally described in the Methods, References, and/or Data Source section of the specific publication.
Although the analytical findings may be based on data provided by one or more of the following sources, the statements, findings, conclusions, views, and opinions expressed in NPDUIS reports and presentations are exclusively those of the PMPRB and are not attributable to any data provider identified in this document. None of the values reported by these sources capture confidential price discounts.
Databases
Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) NPDUIS Database
Houses pan-Canadian prescription claims-level data, focusing primarily on publicly financed drug benefit programs: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Yukon, as well as Indigenous Services Canada’s Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) drug plan. The database also contains supporting information on formulary and drug product information, as well as information on policies of public drug plans in Canada.
For more information, visit: https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-prescription-drug-utilization-information-system-metadata.
GlobalData
Provides data analytics pertaining to the global pharmaceutical industry and insight into pipeline and approved drugs, including information on clinical trials, drug information, epidemiology, market size, survey findings, and industry developments.
For more information, visit: https://www.globaldata.com/.
IQVIA Canadian Drugstore and Hospital Purchases Audit (CDH)
Contains information on the dollar value and unit volume of pharmaceutical and diagnostic product purchases by all Canadian Drug Stores and Hospitals. The information is derived based on projections using a sample of individual outlets within the retail pharmacy and hospital sectors in each province and territory. Data comes from purchases made directly from the manufacturer or through a wholesaler and may include mark-ups. Cash discounts are not captured.
For more information, visit: https://www.iqvia.com/.
IQVIA MIDAS® Database
Contains information on Canadian and international sales, list prices, and units sold of pharmaceutical products. The data reflects prescription and non-prescription drug sales for the total national market, including all payers in both the retail and the hospital sectors. While Canadian and international sales and pricing information are reported at various levels in the distribution chain, NPDUIS reporting is typically based on manufacturer ex-factory list prices.
For more information, visit: https://www.iqvia.com/solutions/commercialization/geographies/midas.
IQVIA Private Drug Plan Database
Houses adjudicated prescription claim-level data collected from a large sample of Canadian pay-direct private drug plans representing all provinces and territories. The PMPRB accesses this database at an aggregated level.
For more information, visit: https://www.iqvia.com/.
IQVIA Payer Insights Database
Reports on Canadian national, provincial, and territorial drug sales at the retail pharmacy level and contains information on the number of prescriptions, units, and prices of drugs sold. This information is provided for the following payer types: provincial/territorial public plans, private plans, out-of-pocket, and the NIHB plan. The payer type is determined at the prescription level, with the sale amount pertaining to any given prescription being allocated to the primary payer in its totality, although a portion may be subsequently paid for by a different payer type. This means that public, private, and NIHB amounts include patient-paid co-payments, while out-of-pocket amounts may include payments made by insured individuals that were reimbursed by a drug plan after submitting a paper claim .
For more information, visit: https://www.iqvia.com/.
Additional Databases
Other data sources that may be considered for NPDUIS publications include:
Reports and Reviews
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) Common Drug Review (CDR) Reports
Through the CDR process, CADTH conducts evaluations of the clinical, economic, and patient evidence on drugs, and uses this evaluation to provide reimbursement recommendations and advice to Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial public drug plans, with the exception of Quebec. The plans consider these reports when making formulary listing decisions and in price negotiations.
For more information, visit: https://www.cadth.ca/reimbursement-review-reports.
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) Pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) Reports
pCODR, which is housed within CADTH, is an evidence-based, cancer drug review process designed to bring consistency and clarity to the assessment of cancer drugs by reviewing clinical evidence, cost-effectiveness, and patient perspectives. These reports are used to make recommendations to Canada's provinces and territories, except Quebec, in guiding their drug funding decisions.
For more information, visit: https://www.cadth.ca/reimbursement-review-reports.
Canadian Institute for Health information (CIHI) NPDUIS Plan Information Document
This document provides a variety of details on the publicly funded drug plans participating in the CIHI NPDUIS Database, and contextual data on eligibility, cost-sharing and policy-related information, as well as a summary of changes from the previous version. This information is intended to support the interpretation of drug-utilization data and improve the understanding of the administration of public drug plans across Canada.
To access the document, visit: https://secure.cihi.ca/estore/productSeries.htm?pc=PCC294.
Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) Reports
The pCPA works to enhance patient access to clinically relevant and cost-effective drug treatment options. It serves this mandate by conducting collective, expert-informed, negotiations for drugs, representing all 13 provinces and territories as well as the federal government. All brand-name drugs coming forward for funding through the national review processes CDR or pCODR are considered for negotiation through the pCPA. Reports provide information on the negotiation status of these drugs. The Alliance also leverages its combined purchasing power to lower generic prices in Canada.
For more information, visit: https://www.pcpacanada.ca/node/30.
PMPRB Human Drug Advisory Panel (HDAP) Reviews
HDAP reviews and evaluates scientific information to provide recommendations on the level of therapeutic improvement of a patented medicine for the PMPRB price review process. The approach is evidence-based and the recommendations reflect medical and scientific knowledge and current clinical practice. Results from HDAP reviews are included in the patented medicine information available on the PMPRB website.
For more information, visit: http://www.pmprb-cepmb.gc.ca/en/regulating-prices/scientific-review.