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Ontario coverage, price, criteria word for word, Health Canada status and shortages for one product

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ZIDOVUDINE

All products: not a benefit

Other products in the same Health Canada class (J05AF) — coverage varies; not interchangeable

  • Abacavir (Ziagen): general benefit
  • Lamivudine (3tc): general benefit, Limited Use 502, 503, 504, Not a benefit
  • Entecavir (Baraclude): limited Use 505, 506, 507, 508
  • Tenofovir alafenamide (Vemlidy): limited Use 517, 518, 519, 520, 521
  • Tenofovir disoproxil (Viread): limited Use 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522
  • Adefovir dipivoxil (Hepsera): not a benefit

48 more in the class list below

Apo-Zidovudine · DIN 01946323 · 100mg · capsule

Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefitMarketed · checked 2026-09-19
StatusOff-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit
Special Drugs ProgramSpecial Drugs Program: zidovudine and pentamidine for HIV/AIDS (ontario.ca, Updated 2026-08-03 ↗) The drugs must be prescribed by a prescriber affiliated with an authorized hospital and dispensed from an authorized hospital pharmacy. (ontario.ca, Updated 2026-08-03 ↗) Patients do not pay deductibles or co-payments. (ontario.ca, Updated 2026-08-03 ↗) The SDP is strictly a hospital service and both the manual and online claims processes are ONLY applicable to specific authorized hospital pharmacies and not to community pharmacies, unless permitted by the Ministry. (ontario.ca, Updated 2026-08-03 ↗)
Write on scriptnot a benefit; no Exceptional Access criteria on record; see alternatives
Patient paysPatient pays: program not supplied; amount cannot be determined.
Private plan unknown: ask. If yes, check its coverage and payer coordination; if no, see the public routes below.
1 brand, same coverage
Apo-Zidovudine · DIN 01946323 Manufacturer: Apotex Inc.; listing date 2009-06-23 Health Canada: Marketed since 1992-12-31 · brand APO-ZIDOVUDINE · ATC J05AF01 ZIDOVUDINE · form Capsule · route Oral · ingredients ZIDOVUDINE 100 MG · company Shield industries, incorporated · schedule Prescription
Check this DIN again · Health Canada product record

Formulary data: Ontario extract of Aug 26, 2026 · Health Canada DPD extract of Sep 2, 2026 (Open Government Licence – Canada) · https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=12839 · Verify on the e-Formulary ↗ (DIN 01946323)

Source record
DIN 01946323: Apo-Zidovudine Raw flags: notABenefit=Y, sec3=Y, sec3b=Y Item: 081800031; group id 118; item number 0201; lccId None; manufacturer id APX Source form: Cap; strength: 100mg Recorded listing: Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit Source prices (unrounded): $2.3005; ministry not recorded Source: ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26 DIN=01946323 Health Canada DPD extract of Sep 2, 2026 (Open Government Licence – Canada) · https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=12839
Interchangeable products
Retrovir · DIN 01902660 · not recorded
Shortage status: not checked (no credentials)
Other drugs in the same formulary class (08:18 Antivirals) and how they are covered

Matched class: 08:18 Antivirals

Drug-class inventory only. Lists recorded Ontario formulary products, not every Canadian medication; does not recommend treatment. Covered without a code on the Ontario formulary: ABACAVIR & LAMIVUDINE & ZIDOVUDINE, ABACAVIR SULFATE, ABACAVIR SULFATE & LAMIVUDINE, BICTEGRAVIR SODIUM/EMTRICITABINE/TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE HEMIFUMARATE, CABOTEGRAVIR, CABOTEGRAVIR & RILPIVIRINE, COBICISTAT & ELVITEGRAVIR & EMTRICITABINE & TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL FUMARATE, DARUNAVIR & COBICISTAT, DARUNAVIR & COBICISTAT & EMTRICITABINE & TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE, DELAVIRDINE MESYLATE, DOLUTEGRAVIR, DOLUTEGRAVIR & ABACAVIR & LAMIVUDINE, DOLUTEGRAVIR & RILPIVIRINE, DOLUTEGRAVIR SODIUM/LAMIVUDINE, DORAVIRINE, DORAVIRINE/LAMIVUDINE/TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL FUMARATE, EFAVIRENZ/TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL FUMARATE/EMTRICITABINE, ELVITEGRAVIR & COBICISTAT & EMTRICITABINE & TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE, EMTRICITABINE & RILPIVIRINE HCL & TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE HEMIFUMARATE, EMTRICITABINE & RILPIVIRINE HCL & TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL, EMTRICITABINE & TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL FUMARATE, ETRAVIRINE, FOSAMPRENAVIR CALCIUM, GANCICLOVIR SODIUM, LAMIVUDINE & ZIDOVUDINE, LOPINAVIR & RITONAVIR, MARAVIROC, NELFINAVIR MESYLATE, RALTEGRAVIR POTASSIUM, RILPIVIRINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RITONAVIR Some products covered without a code (check the product listing): ACYCLOVIR, ATAZANAVIR SULFATE, DARUNAVIR, EFAVIRENZ, LAMIVUDINE, NEVIRAPINE, VALACYCLOVIR 08:18 Antivirals

ABACAVIR SULFATE

· 4 products · General benefit · strengths: 20mg/mL, 300mg · O/L, Tab

LAMIVUDINE

· 10 products · General benefit (7), Listed, not a benefit (1), Limited Use, codes 502, 503, 504 (2) · strengths: 10mg/mL, 100mg, 150mg, 300mg · O/L, Tab

ENTECAVIR

· 8 products · Limited Use, codes 505, 506, 507, 508 · strengths: 0.5mg · Tab

TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE

· 1 products · Limited Use, codes 517, 518, 519, 520, 521 · strengths: 25mg · Tab

TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL

· 11 products · Limited Use, codes 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522 · strengths: 300mg · Tab

ADEFOVIR DIPIVOXIL

· 2 products · Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit · strengths: 10mg · Tab

ABACAVIR & LAMIVUDINE & ZIDOVUDINE

· 2 products · General benefit · strengths: 300mg & 150mg & 300mg · Tab

ABACAVIR SULFATE & LAMIVUDINE

· 7 products · General benefit · strengths: 600mg & 300mg · Tab

ACYCLOVIR

· 15 products · Listed, not a benefit (2), General benefit (13) · strengths: 200mg, 400mg, 800mg · Tab

ATAZANAVIR SULFATE

· 12 products · General benefit (8), Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (4) · strengths: 150mg, 200mg, 300mg · Cap

BICTEGRAVIR SODIUM/EMTRICITABINE/TENOFOVIR ALAFENAMIDE HEMIFUMARATE

· 1 products · General benefit · strengths: 50mg & 200mg & 25mg · Tab

CABOTEGRAVIR

· 3 products · General benefit · strengths: 200mg/mL, 30mg · Inj Sol-ER Susp 3mL Vial Kit Pk, Tab Source: formulary-ed43-front-matter.txt Part V; ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26; class 08:18 and 42 more
Full class listing Related classes: 08:08 Anthelmintics, 08:12 Antibiotics, 08:14 Antifungals, 08:16 Antitubercular Agents, 08:20 Plasmodicides (Antimalarials), 08:24 Sulfonamides, 08:30 Antiprotozoals, 08:32 Trichomonacides, 08:36 Urinary Anti-Infectives, 08:40 Miscellaneous Anti-Infectives Same formulary class, not same indication: class membership alone does not establish equivalent uses.
Other drugs whose Health Canada label lists a similar indication: hiv infection
From Health Canada product monographs; label wording only, not a treatment recommendation. Matching is lexical and uses one held product label per generic; formulations and qualifying criteria may differ. Covered without a code on the Ontario formulary: RITONAVIR RITONAVIR · General benefit Indications NORVIR (ritonavir) is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection when therapy is warranted. 1.1. PM: https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00085371.PDF; date 2026-07-14; DIN 02357593; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph Coverage source: ON formulary extract 2026-08-26
What the Health Canada label says it is for
1 INDICATIONS APO-ZIDOVUDINE (zidovudine) is indicated for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older and weighing > 30 kg when antiretroviral therapy is warranted. Therapy with APO-ZIDOVUDINE has been shown to prolong survival and decrease the incidence of opportunistic infections in patients with advanced HIV disease at the initiation of therapy and to delay disease progression in asymptomatic HIV-infected patients. APO-ZIDOVUDINE in combination with certain antiretroviral agents has been shown to be superior to monotherapy in one or more of the following: delaying death, delaying development of AIDS, increasing CD4 cell counts, and decreasing plasma HIV RNA. Use of APO- ZIDOVUDINE in some combinations is based on surrogate marker data. The complete prescribing information for each drug should be consulted before initiating combination therapy with APO-ZIDOVUDINE. The duration of clinical benefit from antiretroviral therapy may be limited. Alterations in antiretroviral therapy should be considered if disease progression occurs during treatment. 1.1 Pediatrics Pediatrics (12 to < 18 years of age): Based on the data submitted an… https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00073667.PDF PM date: NOV 23, 2023 Source product: APO-ZIDOVUDINE; DIN 01946323; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph posted by Health Canada; excerpt for lookup only.

Other review policies

For Apo-Zidovudine: no applicable EAP criteria are held and no ODB benefit is established. These policies do not establish coverage.

For rare, immediately life-, limb- or organ-threatening circumstances, the Compassionate Review Policy may consider an unfunded drug or indication, subject to its criteria and without bypassing the drug review process. Compassionate Review Policy

Compassionate Review Policy: source quote
Where there are rare clinical circumstances in immediately life, limb, or organ-threatening conditions, the Executive Officer will also consider requests for drugs or indications in situations where there has not been a decision by the Executive Officer to provide funding of the drug or indication as part of the Ontario Drug Benefit program (and the EAP), and the drug or indication requested would not circumvent the established review process for new drugs or indications as part of the drug submission process for listing within the Ontario Drug Benefit program. Requests must meet the criteria for the Compassionate Review Policy.

Ontario source; updated September 15, 2026

For cancer drugs, Case-by-Case Review considers rare, immediately life-threatening circumstances when no satisfactory funded treatment exists; its criteria and application process apply. Case-by-Case Review (cancer drugs)

Case-by-Case Review (cancer drugs): source quote
Note: Requests for cancer drugs are considered under the Case-by-Case Review Program (CBCRP) which is administered by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) on behalf of the Ministry of Health. The CBCRP considers funding requests for drugs (both oral therapies and injectable drugs) for the treatment of cancer in patients who have a rare clinical circumstance that is immediately life-threatening (death is likely within a matter of months) and who require treatment with an unfunded drug, because there is no other satisfactory and funded treatment. Please refer to the Ontario Health website for information on the application process, FAQs, eligibility criteria and program policies.

Ontario source; updated September 15, 2026