get_hc_drug_by_din: Get a Drug Product by DIN from Health Canada Drug Product...

In MedxR: Access Drug Regulatory Data via FDA and Health Canada APIs

Get a Drug Product by DIN from Health Canada Drug Product Database

Description

Retrieves detailed information for a specific drug product listed in the Health Canada Drug Product Database (DPD) using the RESTful API endpoint /drug/drugproduct?din=<DIN>.

This includes details such as the Drug Identification Number (DIN), product name, class, number of active ingredients, company name, and update date.

Usage

get_hc_drug_by_din(din)

Arguments

din	A character or numeric string representing the Drug Identification Number (DIN) of the product to retrieve.

Details

Sends a GET request to the Health Canada Drug Product Database API. Supports caching via the memoise package and enforces a rate limit between successive API requests.

If the DIN does not exist or the API returns an error, the function returns NULL with an informative message.

The function fails gracefully when internet resources are unavailable, including SSL certificate errors, network timeouts, or server issues.

Value

A tibble with the following columns:

• drug_code: Unique code identifying the drug product

• class_name: Class of drug (e.g., Human, Veterinary)

• din: DIN assigned by Health Canada

• brand_name: Brand or trade name of the product

• number_of_ais: Number of active ingredients

• ai_group_no: Active ingredient group number

• company_name: Manufacturer name

• last_update_date: Date of last update in the database

Returns NULL if the resource is unavailable or if an error occurs.

Note

Requires an internet connection.

Source

Health Canada Drug Product Database (DPD) API: https://health-products.canada.ca/api/documentation/dpd-documentation-en.html

See Also

GET, fromJSON, as_tibble

Examples

  # This function requires an internet connection and downloads data from Health Canada
  result <- get_hc_drug_by_din("02456789")
  if (!is.null(result)) {
    print(result)
  }

MedxR documentation built on Jan. 14, 2026, 5:08 p.m.