An external Editorial Advisory Committee of Canadian physicians and pharmacists advises CPhA about the strategic direction of their publications including CPS.

It is the most comprehensive list of current brand and generic drugs in Canada, and also includes discontinued products.

The Product Identification section includes photos and illustrations of numerous drugs in pill, tablet, caplet, capsule, syrup, and other forms.

The Directory includes contact information for poison control centres, health organizations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The Appendices contain Health Canada drug regulatory and monitoring programs' reporting and request forms on such topics as Narcotic and Controlled Drugs, Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances, and Adverse Events Following Immunization: Surveillance and Reporting.

A number of helpful glossaries appear near the end of CPS including Medical Abbreviations, and Latin Prescription Terms.

There have been numerous changes and additions to CPS over the years including the first French edition in 1968, a move from hard-cover to soft-cover in 1981, and the introduction of e-CPS in 2004.

With each passing year there are more drug monographs and information in CPS, which has resulted in a steadily increasing volume size.

Sales have continued to grow as CPS remains the most comprehensive and frequently used reference for safely and accurately prescribing drugs in Canada.

In the past, the CPS has been criticized for being heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and for lacking important information, such as efficacy and price.

[2] Pharmaceuticals in the CPS are listed by their brand name,[3] as opposed to by the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) or United States Adopted Name (USAN).