The following summary illustrates how the National Drug Schedules (NDS) model is implemented across Canada.
Scheduling by Reference means that whenever NAPRA makes a scheduling decision, the decision is automatically in force in the provinces or territories where they have elected to schedule by reference. This means the NDS are referenced in provincial/territorial legislation. There may be exceptions to the NDS in rare cases to account for specific needs of that province or territory. Changes to provincial/territorial legislation are only required if the province or territory wants to make an exception to the NDS; otherwise, the NDS are automatically in force.
NAPRA + Provincial Approval means that the province maintains its own separate drug schedules and amendments to the NDS eventually need to be approved and added to the provincial drug schedules by either the pharmacy regulatory authority or the provincial government. In British Columbia, the only province currently following this system, drugs listed in the NDS are automatically deemed to be listed in the corresponding provincial schedule until such time as they are reviewed and added to the provincial schedules. The provincial drug schedules usually match the NAPRA schedules, but there may be exceptions in some cases to account for the specific needs of that province.
| Jurisdiction | Scheduling by Reference | NAPRA + Provincial Approval |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Yes | |
| Manitoba | Yes | |
| New Brunswick | Yes | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Yes | |
| Northwest Territories | Yes | |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | |
| Nunavut | Yes | |
| Ontario | Yes | |
| Prince Edward Island | Yes | |
| Saskatchewan | Yes | |
| Yukon | Yes | |
| British Columbia | Yes | |
| Quebec* | No | No |
*Quebec currently maintains its own drug schedules and no plans are underway for provincial adoption of the national model.