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

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ESCITALOPRAM

All products: not a benefit

Other products in the same Health Canada class (N06A, N06AB) — coverage varies; not interchangeable

  • Citalopram (Celexa): general benefit, Not a benefit
  • Fluoxetine (Prozac): general benefit, Not a benefit
  • Fluvoxamine (Luvox): general benefit
  • Paroxetine (Paxil): general benefit, Not a benefit
  • Sertraline (Zoloft): general benefit
  • Amitriptyline (Elavil): general benefit

17 more in the class list below

Cipralex MELTZ · DIN 02391457 · 20mg · Orally Disintegrating Tablet

Listed, not a benefit; Health Canada lists this DIN as Cancelled post market since 2018-06-15 — choose a marketed DIN from the same-category list.Discontinued 2018-06-15 · checked 2026-09-19
StatusListed, not a benefit; Health Canada lists this DIN as Cancelled post market since 2018-06-15 — choose a marketed DIN from the same-category list.
Write on scriptnot a benefit; no Exceptional Access criteria on record; see alternatives; Health Canada lists this DIN as Cancelled post market since 2018-06-15 — choose a marketed DIN from the same-category list.
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
Cipralex MELTZ · DIN 02391457 Manufacturer: Lundbeck Canada Inc.; listing date 2014-01-03 Health Canada: Cancelled post market since 2018-06-15 · brand CIPRALEX MELTZ · ATC N06AB10 ESCITALOPRAM · form Tablet (orally-disintegrating) · route Oral · ingredients ESCITALOPRAM 20 MG · company Lundbeck canada inc · schedule Prescription
Check this DIN again · Health Canada product record

Cipralex MELTZ: Formulary list price not recorded/unit (unit not stated in source; not the patient's cost)

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=87680 · Verify on the e-Formulary ↗ (DIN 02391457)

Source record
DIN 02391457: Cipralex MELTZ Raw flags: notABenefit=Y, sec3=Y Item: 281604128; group id 460; item number 1151; lccId None; manufacturer id VLH Source form: Orally Disintegrating Tablet; strength: 20mg Recorded listing: Listed, not a benefit; ODB pays only for the benefit products in this interchangeable category Source prices (unrounded): not recorded; ministry not recorded Source: ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26 DIN=02391457 Health Canada DPD extract of Sep 2, 2026 (Open Government Licence – Canada) · https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=87680
Interchangeable products
Act Escitalopram ODT · DIN 02454300 · $1.4052
Shortage status: not checked (no credentials)
Health Canada lists this DIN as Cancelled post market since 2018-06-15 — choose a marketed DIN from the same-category list.
Other drugs in the same formulary class (28:16:04 Antidepressants) and how they are covered

Matched class: 28:16:04 Antidepressants

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: AMITRIPTYLINE, CLOMIPRAMINE HCL, FLUVOXAMINE MALEATE, NORTRIPTYLINE, PHENELZINE SULFATE, SERTRALINE HCL, TRANYLCYPROMINE SULFATE, VENLAFAXINE HCL, VORTIOXETINE HYDROBROMIDE Some products covered without a code (check the product listing): CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE, DESIPRAMINE, DOXEPIN HCL, DULOXETINE, FLUOXETINE HCL, IMIPRAMINE, MIRTAZAPINE, MOCLOBEMIDE, PAROXETINE HCL, TRAZODONE HYDROCHLORIDE, TRIMIPRAMINE 28:16:04 Antidepressants

CITALOPRAM HYDROBROMIDE

· 51 products · Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (9), General benefit (42) · strengths: 10mg, 20mg, 40mg · Tab

FLUOXETINE HCL

· 41 products · Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (17), Listed, not a benefit (2), General benefit (22) · strengths: 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, 60mg, 20mg/5mL · Cap, Oral Sol

FLUVOXAMINE MALEATE

· 6 products · General benefit · strengths: 50mg, 100mg · Tab

PAROXETINE HCL

· 47 products · Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (16), General benefit (31) · strengths: 10mg, 20mg, 30mg · Tab

SERTRALINE HCL

· 49 products · General benefit · strengths: 25mg, 50mg, 100mg · Cap

AMITRIPTYLINE

· 12 products · General benefit · strengths: 10mg, 25mg, 50mg · Tab

CLOMIPRAMINE HCL

· 5 products · General benefit · strengths: 25mg, 50mg, 10mg · Tab

DESIPRAMINE

· 7 products · Listed, not a benefit (4), General benefit (3) · strengths: 25mg, 50mg, 75mg · Tab

DOXEPIN HCL

· 20 products · General benefit (12), Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (8) · strengths: 10mg, 25mg, 50mg, 75mg, 100mg · Cap

DULOXETINE

· 38 products · Listed, not a benefit (2), General benefit (36) · strengths: 30mg, 60mg · DR Cap

IMIPRAMINE

· 9 products · Listed, not a benefit (3), General benefit (6) · strengths: 10mg, 25mg, 50mg · Tab

MIRTAZAPINE

· 25 products · General benefit (16), Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit (9) · strengths: 15mg, 30mg, 45mg · Orally Disintegrating Tab, Tab Source: formulary-ed43-front-matter.txt Part V; ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26; class 28:16:04 and 12 more
Full class listing Related classes: 28:08:04 Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents, 28:08:08 Opiate Agonists, 28:08:12 Opiate Partial Agonists, 28:08:92 Miscellaneous Analgesics and Antipyretics, 28:16:08 Tranquilizers, 28:16:12 Other Psychotropics, 28:36:08 Anticholinergic Agents, 28:36:20 Dopamine Receptor Agonists Same formulary class, not same indication: class membership alone does not establish equivalent uses.
What the Health Canada label says it is for
1 INDICATIONS CIPRALEX (escitalopram oxalate) is indicated in adults for: • the symptomatic relief of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The efficacy of CIPRALEX in maintaining an antidepressant response, in patients with major depressive disorder who responded during an 8-week, acute-treatment phase while taking CIPRALEX and were then observed for relapse during a period of up to 36 weeks, was demonstrated in a placebo-controlled trial (see 14.1 Clinical Trial by Indication, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)). • the symptomatic relief of anxiety causing clinically significant distress in patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The efficacy of CIPRALEX in maintaining anxiolytic response for at least 6 months in patients with GAD was demonstrated in a long-term placebo-controlled trial (in patients who had initially responded to CIPRALEX during a 12-week open-label phase. • the symptomatic relief of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The obsessions and compulsions must be experienced as intrusive, markedly distressing, time consuming or interfering significantly w… https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00072474.PDF PM date: DEC 24, 2004 Source product: CIPRALEX -10MG; DIN 02263238; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph posted by Health Canada; excerpt for lookup only.

Other review policies

For Cipralex MELTZ: 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