Can I refill my ADHD medication after moving to Canada?

A Canadian pharmacy cannot fill a prescription written outside Canada

Provincial pharmacy rules, such as the Ontario College of Pharmacists' guidance on prescription refills and part-fills, describe how existing Canadian prescriptions can be renewed or part-filled, but that framework applies only to prescriptions issued by a prescriber licensed in Canada. A prescription from your home country's doctor is not something a Canadian pharmacist is authorized to dispense against.

You need a Canadian-licensed prescriber to assess you and write a new prescription

This typically means completing an assessment, or at minimum a clinical review of your diagnosis and treatment history, with a nurse practitioner or physician licensed in the province where you now live. Since you already have a prior diagnosis, this process is often faster than a first-time assessment, but it still requires a Canadian clinician's independent clinical judgment; a Canadian prescriber cannot simply transcribe a foreign prescription.

1. Gather your diagnosis documentation and medication history from your home country.
2. Book an assessment or consultation with a Canadian-licensed nurse practitioner or physician.
3. Bring your documentation to the visit; you may qualify for 50 percent off the initial consultation if already diagnosed elsewhere, conditions apply.
4. Receive a new Canadian prescription once the clinician confirms the diagnosis and treatment plan.

Not every medication or formulation available abroad is approved in Canada

Health Canada's Drug Product Database lists which products are authorized for sale here, including current marketed status; a Canadian prescriber will confirm whether your specific medication and formulation exists in the Canadian market, or whether an equivalent within the same class, stimulant medications or non-stimulant options, needs to be substituted. Health Canada also maintains a drug shortages hub with consumer-facing supply notices, since availability of a specific product can shift over time.

Bringing your existing supply into Canada has its own separate rules

Health Canada's guidance on travelling into and out of Canada with prescription medications containing controlled substances sets out supply limits, packaging, labelling, and declaration requirements for anyone crossing the border with these medications, and Health Canada's Section 56 class exemption describes the underlying legal basis that allows travellers to bring a personal supply in the first place. Keep medication in its original, labelled packaging and carry a copy of your prescription or a doctor's letter when you travel.

An assessment with a licensed clinician can re-establish your prescription in Canada

Finding Focus's adult assessment is a one-time $399 fee for up to 75 minutes with a licensed nurse practitioner or clinician, based on DSM-5-TR criteria and CADDRA-aligned practice. Ongoing prescribing and follow-up after that continues through an optional $29.99 per month membership or a $74.99 per-check-in fee without a membership.

Timing matters here. Booking your Canadian assessment as soon as you know your moving date, rather than after your existing supply runs out, gives more room for the visit, any necessary follow-up, and pharmacy processing before you are left without medication. If you are moving between provinces within Canada rather than from another country, the same principle applies: a nurse practitioner's authority to prescribe is tied to their licensing province and to where you are physically located, so a cross-provincial move still requires a new assessment or a transfer of care to a clinician licensed in your new province.