Exception Status Drugs

Nova Scotia Pharmacare

Nova Scotia is piloting a modernized Pharmacare Exception Status Drug (ESD) request process with the launch of a single, searchable digital form in Ocean.

If you have an Ocean account, refer to the Pharmacare ESD Request Guide (PDF) on how to send ESD requests via Ocean. You can still submit requests via the PDF forms linked below.

For more information, refer to the Nova Scotia Digital Health Provider Toolkit.

Exception Status Drugs

Certain drugs are only eligible for coverage under the Pharmacare Programs when an individual meets the criteria for coverage developed by the Atlantic and/or Canadian Expert Advisory Committees.

To perform a basic search for specific text in the Criteria for Coverage of Exception Status Drugs (PDF) document:

  • Press CTRL-F (PC) or Command (⌘)-F (Macintosh). A search box will be displayed in the upper right of the screen. Type the word or phrase you want to search for in the entry field. Use the small left and right arrows in the search box to skip to the previous or next instance of the searched-for word or phrase.

  • Open the document in your PDF reader on your mobile phone and enter your search criteria using the Search function

Forms for Exception Status Drug Requests

Copies of the standard request form as well as specialized forms are available below. Forms may be added or changed at any time. To ensure up to date information, please refer to this site.