Comparison

CPS by CPhA vs Prescribe Smart

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CPS by CPhA

Access essential, evidence-based drug information for healthcare professionals. Choose between drug monographs or full access with therapeutic guidance and tools. Stay updated with critical warnings and advisories.

Highlights
  • Evidence-based drug monographs
  • Therapeutic information
  • Non-prescription therapy guidance
  • Drug tables and algorithms
  • Medical calculators
  • Critical updates and warnings
Features
Read full description

CPS (formerly RxTx) has a new appearance. CPS is still the reliable, evidence-based drug resource it has always been and provides essential drug information at the point-of-care for health care practitioners. Now offering two subscription options – CPS Drug Information or CPS Full Access. CPS Drug Information is the Canadian standard for drug monographs, containing thousands of products including monographs for drugs, vaccines, natural health products and medical devices, approved by Health Canada. CPS Full Access includes all content from CPS Drug Information and the most current, evidence-based therapeutic information and non-prescription therapy for most common conditions, with cross-referenced drug tables and algorithms and DC condition-based drug tables. Both subscriptions types provide critical updates such as warnings and advisories; and useful tools such as medical calculators.

About

Prescribe Smart

This tool helps healthcare professionals compare drug costs and provincial coverage to make informed prescribing decisions. It aids in managing drug interactions and recalls, ultimately helping patients access more affordable and therapeutically appropriate treatments.

Highlights
  • Compare drug costs
  • View provincial coverage
  • Manage drug interactions
  • Track drug recalls
  • User-friendly interface
  • Cost-effective prescribing
Features
Read full description

Prescribe Smart is a Canadian drug reference made for healthcare professionals. Search by drug, drug class, or condition, and get Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) coverage, prices, alternatives, and a concise, fully referenced drug summary in seconds. Prescribe Smart is an independent healthcare tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially associated with any government entity, including the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Health, or the Ontario Drug Benefit program. Coverage information is compiled by our team from publicly available sources, including the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Search by drug, drug class, or condition • See ODB coverage at a glance, with clear badges for covered drugs, Limited Use (LU) codes, and Exceptional Access (EAP) products • Read concise drug summaries with doses for adults, children, and older adults, plus renal and hepatic adjustments and pregnancy and breastfeeding cautions • Compare prices across the drugs in a class, ordered from least to most expensive • Find alternatives by class or indication in one tap, and compare their coverage side by side • View LU codes and their criteria right on the drug page • Check drug shortage and backorder notices on the home screen • Save your frequent drugs as favourites for quick access Built for the way Canadian clinicians actually work: fast, clear, and to the point. Our team keeps the drug database updated continuously, and every summary is fully referenced. PLEASE NOTE Coverage, prices, and availability change over time. Prices are estimates; pharmacy fees are not included and vary by pharmacy. Always verify coverage against the official formulary and dosing against the current product monograph. Prescribe Smart supports, and never replaces, your clinical judgment. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

CPS by CPhA4 screens
Prescribe Smart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Prescribe Smart at 100% against CPS by CPhA's 13%. Prescribe Smart also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CPS by CPhA ships an update every 4 months, Prescribe Smart every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CPS by CPhA versus Prescribe Smart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCPS by CPhAPrescribe Smart
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews13.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.2 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size177 MB38 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperCanadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA)Fady Rizq

Customer experience

CPS by CPhA

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive13.1%
Neutral6.6%
Negative80.3%

Prescribe Smart

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

CPS by CPhA

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Cannot sign in
  • App won't download content
  • App won't load
  • App won't open
  • Login issues with enterprise accounts
Show 5 more
  • Content erased with update
  • App is empty/no content
  • Sign in button non-functional
  • Search function hangs or is slow
  • Updates do not install

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add in-page search function
  • Improve font size options
  • Add CTC content
  • Allow download in one language
  • Provide option to not download all data

Prescribe Smart

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CPS by CPhA

No in-app purchases

None

Prescribe Smart

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CPS by CPhA free?
CPS by CPhA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Prescribe Smart free?
Prescribe Smart is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CPS by CPhA or Prescribe Smart have ads?
Neither CPS by CPhA nor Prescribe Smart shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CPS by CPhA or Prescribe Smart?
CPS by CPhA ships an update every 4 months, and Prescribe Smart every 3 weeks. Most recently, CPS by CPhA was updated on November 13, 2026 and Prescribe Smart on November 14, 2026.

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