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

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CLARITHROMYCIN

All products: not a benefit

Other products in the same Health Canada class (J01FA) — coverage varies; not interchangeable

  • Azithromycin (Zithromax): general benefit, Limited Use 549, Not a benefit
  • Erythromycin base (Erythromid): general benefit, Not a benefit
  • Erythromycin estolate (Ilosone): general benefit, Not a benefit
  • Erythromycin ethylsuccinate (Ees-200): general benefit, Not a benefit

Sandoz Clarithromycin · DIN 02266547 · 500mg · tablet

Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefitMarketed · checked 2026-09-19
StatusOff-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit
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
Sandoz Clarithromycin · DIN 02266547 Manufacturer: Sandoz Canada Inc.; listing date 2008-08-28 Health Canada: Marketed since 2008-06-06 · brand SANDOZ CLARITHROMYCIN · ATC J01FA09 CLARITHROMYCIN · form Tablet · route Oral · ingredients CLARITHROMYCIN 500 MG · company Sandoz canada 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=75197 · Verify on the e-Formulary ↗ (DIN 02266547)

Source record
DIN 02266547: Sandoz Clarithromycin Raw flags: notABenefit=Y, sec3=Y, sec3b=Y Item: 081212024; group id 21; item number 0036; lccId None; manufacturer id SDZ Source form: Tab; strength: 500mg Recorded listing: Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit Source prices (unrounded): $2.2009; ministry not recorded Source: ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26 DIN=02266547 Health Canada DPD extract of Sep 2, 2026 (Open Government Licence – Canada) · https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=75197
Interchangeable products
Apo-Clarithromycin · DIN 02274752 · not recorded Biaxin BID · DIN 02126710 · not recorded Clarithromycin · DIN 02442485 · not recorded Clarithromycin · DIN 02466139 · not recorded M-Clarithromycin · DIN 02471396 · not recorded PMS-Clarithromycin · DIN 02247574 · not recorded Ran-Clarithromycin · DIN 02361434 · not recorded Teva-Clarithromycin · DIN 02248805 · not recorded
Shortage status: not checked (no credentials)
Other drugs in the same formulary class (08:12:12 Erythromycins) and how they are covered

Matched class: 08:12:12 Erythromycins

Drug-class inventory only. Lists recorded Ontario formulary products, not every Canadian medication; does not recommend treatment. Some products covered without a code (check the product listing): AZITHROMYCIN, ERYTHROMYCIN BASE, ERYTHROMYCIN ESTOLATE, ERYTHROMYCIN ETHYLSUCCINATE 08:12:12 Erythromycins

AZITHROMYCIN

· 28 products · Listed, not a benefit (6), General benefit (21), Limited Use, codes 549 (1) · strengths: 100mg/5mL, 200mg/5mL, 250mg, 600mg · O/L-15mL Pk, O/L-22.5mL Pk, O/L-37.5mL Pk, Tab

ERYTHROMYCIN BASE

· 2 products · Listed, not a benefit (1), General benefit (1) · strengths: 250mg · Tab

ERYTHROMYCIN ESTOLATE

· 2 products · Listed, not a benefit (1), General benefit (1) · strengths: 50mg/mL · O/L

ERYTHROMYCIN ETHYLSUCCINATE

· 4 products · Listed, not a benefit (2), General benefit (2) · strengths: 40mg/mL, 80mg/mL · O/L Source: formulary-ed43-front-matter.txt Part V; ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26; class 08:12:12
Full class listing Related classes: 08:12:04 Antifungals, 08:12:07 Carbapenems, 08:12:16 Penicillins, 08:12:24 Tetracyclines, 08:12:28 Other Antibiotics, 08:14:08 Azoles Same formulary class, not same indication: class membership alone does not establish equivalent uses.
Other drugs whose Health Canada label lists a similar indication: infections
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. No displayed matched alternative is a general benefit. CIPROFLOXACIN AND DEXAMETHASONE · Limited Use, codes 509 INDICATIONS AND CLINICAL USE CIPRODEX® (ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone otic suspension) is indicated for the treatment of infections caused by most strains of the designated microorganisms in the specific conditions listed below: Acute Otitis Media with Otorrhea through tympanostomy tubes in pediatric patients ≥ 6 months of age due to: Aerobic, Gram-Positive: Streptococcus pneumoniae Staphylococcus aureus Aerobic, Gram-Negative: Haemophilus influenza Moraxella catarrhalis Pseudomonas aeruginosa Acute Otitis Externa in adults and pediatric patients ≥ 1 year of age due to: Aerobic, Gram-Positive: Staphylococcus aureus Aerobic, Gram-Negative: Pseudomonas aeruginosa To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of CIPRODEX and other antibacterial drugs, CIPRODEX should be used only to treat infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. PM: https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00041611.PDF; date September 27, 2017; DIN 02252716; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph TETRACYCLINE · Listed, not a benefit (1), General benefit (1) Indications TETRACYCLINE (tetracycline hydrochloride capsules) is indicated for infections caused by the following microorganisms: • Rickettsiae (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus fever and the typhus group, Q fever, rickettsialpox, tick fevers), M. pneumoniae (PPLO, Eaton agent), agents of psittacosis and ornithosis, agents of L. venereum and G. inguinale, and the spirochetal agent of relapsing fever (B. recurrentis). PM: https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00084169.PDF; date 2026-03-17; DIN 00580929; 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 BIAXIN BID® (clarithromycin tablets USP, film-coated) BIAXIN BID® may be indicated in the treatment of mild to moderate infections caused by susceptible strains of the designated microorganisms in the diseases listed below: • Upper Respiratory Tract • Pharyngiitis/tonsillitis, caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A beta-hemolytic streptococci). • Acute maxillary sinusitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae), Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae), and Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis [M. (Branhamella) catarrhalis]. • Lower Respiratory Tract • Acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis caused by S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae (including beta-lactamase producing strains), M. (Branhamella) catarrhalis (including beta- lactamase producing strains). • Pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae and Mycoplasma. pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae). See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Susceptibility/Resistance. • Uncomplicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections • Uncomplicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes), Staphylococcus aureus… https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00078094.PDF PM date: DEC 17, 2024 Source product: BIAXIN BID; DIN 01984853; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph posted by Health Canada; excerpt for lookup only.

Other review policies

For Sandoz Clarithromycin: 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