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

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ADAPALENE & BENZOYL PEROXIDE

All products: not a benefit

Other products in the same Health Canada class (D10A) — coverage varies; not interchangeable

  • Azelaic acid (Finacea): general benefit

Taro-Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide Forte · DIN 02505053 · 0.3% w/w & 2.5% w/w · Top Gel

Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefitMarketed · checked 2026-09-02
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
Taro-Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide Forte · DIN 02505053 Manufacturer: Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc.; listing date 2022-02-28 Health Canada: Marketed since 2022-01-24 · brand TARO-ADAPALENE/BENZOYL PEROXIDE FORTE · ATC D10AD53 ADAPALENE, COMBINATIONS, D10AD53 ADAPALENE, COMBINATIONS · form Gel · route Topical · ingredients ADAPALENE 0.3 %/W/W, BENZOYL PEROXIDE 2.5 %/W/W · company Taro pharmaceuticals inc · 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=99442 · Verify on the e-Formulary ↗ (DIN 02505053)

Source record
DIN 02505053: Taro-Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide Forte Raw flags: notABenefit=Y, sec3=Y, sec3b=Y Item: 843600106; group id 855; item number 2075; lccId None; manufacturer id TAR Source form: Top Gel; strength: 0.3% w/w & 2.5% w/w Recorded listing: Off-Formulary Interchangeable, not an ODB benefit Source prices (unrounded): $2.1577; ministry not recorded Source: ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26 DIN=02505053 Health Canada DPD extract of Sep 2, 2026 (Open Government Licence – Canada) · https://health-products.canada.ca/dpd-bdpp/info?lang=eng&code=99442
Interchangeable products
Sandoz Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide · DIN 02517205 · not recorded TactuPump Forte · DIN 02446235 · not recorded
Shortage status: resolved shortage (ended 2025-02-12); reports as of 2026-09-13T08:10:21.292534+00:00 (Health Product Shortages Canada) Source: https://healthproductshortages.ca/search?term=02505053
Shortage record checked 2026-09-13T08:10:21.292534+00:00
Other drugs in the same formulary class (84:36 Miscellaneous Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents) and how they are covered

Matched class: 84:36 Miscellaneous Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents

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: ACITRETIN, AZELAIC ACID, FLUOROURACIL, ISOTRETINOIN, ZINC SULFATE Some products covered without a code (check the product listing): COLLAGENASE 84:36 Miscellaneous Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents

AZELAIC ACID

· 1 products · General benefit · strengths: 15% · Top Gel

ACITRETIN

· 6 products · General benefit · strengths: 10mg, 25mg · Cap

COLLAGENASE

· 2 products · General benefit (1), Temporary benefit (1) · strengths: 250Unit/g · 30g Pk, Oint-30g Pk

FLUOROURACIL

· 1 products · General benefit · strengths: 5% · Cr

ISOTRETINOIN

· 8 products · General benefit · strengths: 10mg, 20mg, 30mg, 40mg · Cap

ZINC SULFATE

· 2 products · General benefit · strengths: 0.5%, 10mg · Oint, Sup

ALITRETINOIN

· 4 products · Listed, not a benefit (2), Limited Use, codes 442 (2) · strengths: 10mg, 30mg · Cap

BRODALUMAB

· 1 products · Limited Use, codes 553 · strengths: 210mg/1.5mL · Inj Sol-Pref Syr

CALCIPOTRIOL

· 1 products · Limited Use, codes 191 · strengths: 50mcg/g · Oint

CALCITRIOL

· 1 products · Limited Use, codes 191 · strengths: 3mcg/g · Oint

IXEKIZUMAB

· 2 products · Limited Use, codes 526 · strengths: 80mg/mL · Inj Sol-Pref Autoinj, Inj Sol-Pref Syr

PIMECROLIMUS

· 1 products · Limited Use, codes 383 · strengths: 1% · Cr Source: formulary-ed43-front-matter.txt Part V; ODB odb-formulary-ed43-extract-2026-08-26.xml extract_date=2026-08-26; class 84:36 and 3 more
Full class listing Related classes: 84:04 Anti-Infectives, 84:06 Anti-Inflammatory, 84:28 Keratolytic Agents Same formulary class, not same indication: class membership alone does not establish equivalent uses.
What the Health Canada label says it is for
INDICATIONS AND CLINICAL USE TACTUPUMP (adapalene 0.1%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5%) Topical Gel is indicated for:  Treatment of mild and moderate acne vulgaris, characterized by comedones, inflammatory papules/ pustules in patients 9 years of age and older. TACTUPUMP FORTE (adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5%) Topical Gel is indicated for:  Treatment of moderate and severe acne vulgaris, characterized by comedones, inflammatory papules/pustules with or without occasional nodules in patients 12 years of age and older. CLINICAL USE Physicians should be able to choose between the two concentrations TACTUPUMP FORTE Topical Gel and TACTUPUMP Topical Gel based on the presenting patient’s clinical condition and confounding factors that could worsen acne severity. TACTUPUMP / TACTUPUMP FORTE Product Monograph Page 3 of 43 TACTUPUMP FORTE may also be considered for those patients who have moderate and severe acne vulgaris, who may have risk factors that worsen acne prognosis such as tendency toward cyclical relapses, pre-pubertal onset or long term history of acne, positive family / genetic history, those prone to … https://pdf.hres.ca/dpd_pm/00051234.PDF PM date: May 17, 2019 Source product: TACTUPUMP; DIN 02365871; fetched 2026-09-10 Product monograph posted by Health Canada; excerpt for lookup only.

Other review policies

For Taro-Adapalene/Benzoyl Peroxide Forte: 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