Your narcotic binder, but it does the math and never loses a page.
What changes on day one
Your last paper count becomes the opening balance
Start a count dated the day of your last paper count and type in what the binder says you counted. A drug's first count in NarcCount sets its opening balance, so nothing shows as a variance. Every count after it reconciles against the one before.
Your records come in as CSV
Export the dispensing report from your pharmacy software and the purchase report from your wholesaler, then upload them. There are export steps for Kroll, PharmaClik, Fillware and WinRx, and for McKesson, Kohl & Frisch and Imperial. A DIN NarcCount has not seen before is added to your drug list automatically.
Count on the shelf, type as you go
Start your next count and the drugs from your last count are already listed, ready to fill in. Type each number in as you count, on a phone, a tablet or the dispensary computer.
The arithmetic is done for you
For every drug, expected on hand is the last count, plus purchased, minus dispensed, minus destroyed. A line that does not match is flagged, and each total opens the purchases, dispenses or destructions behind it, so you can find out why before you sign.
Write down what you found, line by line
Every line that is off gets a short record: what happened, what you checked and the outcome. If a shortage turns out to be a real loss or theft, the Health Canada loss report starts from the count, already filled in.
Sign off and print
Record who counted, an optional witness or second counter, and the Designated Manager's review, each with a name, designation, signature and date. The report prints with your pharmacy's name, every variance and the note behind it.
The details are in the help centre: creating and completing a count and uploading your records.
What stays the same
- Your team still counts every bottle on the shelf. NarcCount does the arithmetic, not the counting.
- Your pharmacy software stays the record of what was dispensed. NarcCount reads its report; it does not replace it.
- A loss or theft still goes to Health Canada within 10 days of finding it.
- The binder stays on the shelf for as long as the record-keeping rules say. See the first question below.
What an inspector sees
The answer to the question about a line from eight months ago is already written down, signed and dated.
The count report
Every drug on one report: last count, purchased, dispensed, destroyed, expected, counted and the difference, with the note on each line and the sign-off at the end.
The activity log
Every edit, deletion and sign-off, with who and when. Entries are only ever added, each one is chained to the one before it so an altered entry shows, and a count can be archived but never deleted.
The compliance page
Whether your counts are up to date, due soon or overdue, and any shortage that is still waiting to be reviewed or reported.
More than one store?
Each store keeps its own counts, its own history and its own sign-off, done by the people in that store. Someone who works across stores switches between them from one sign-in. Your first pharmacy is $69 a month ($59 a month billed annually), and every store after it is $29 a month ($25 on annual). More on NarcCount for pharmacy groups.
Questions
Do I throw the binder out?
No. Keep it for as long as the record-keeping rules say. In Ontario, pharmacy patient and dispensing records, which include your controlled-substance dispensing, must be kept at least 10 years (O. Reg. 264/16 s. 21), longer for a minor. Federally, narcotic and controlled-substance records must be kept at least 2 years (Controlled Substances Regulations s. 123(1), in force October 1, 2026; it replaced Narcotic Control Regulations s. 40.1, Food and Drug Regulations s. G.03.010 and Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations s. 75, which set the same 2 years). Anything you enter in NarcCount can be exported as CSV whenever you need it.
Do I have to type in all my old paper counts?
No. Only the most recent one, as your opening balances. The older pages stay in the binder.
We are not on Kroll. Does that matter?
No. Any system's controlled-substance report imports as CSV, and the help centre has export steps for Kroll, PharmaClik, Fillware and WinRx.
Can we still count on paper on the shelf?
Yes. Count on paper if that suits the shelf, then type the totals in. Our printable count sheets are free and need no account.
Is patient information stored?
No. NarcCount stores inventory records: DINs, quantities, dates and optional invoice or prescription numbers. It does not store patient names or patient health information.
What does it cost?
$69 a month for one pharmacy, or $59 a month billed annually, with no setup fees, and you can cancel anytime. Each store after the first is $29 a month, or $25 a month on the annual plan.
Sources
- O. Reg. 264/16 s. 21 (General, Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act) — The 10 years runs from the last pharmacy service provided to the patient, and longer again for a patient who was a minor.
- Controlled Substances Regulations (SOR/2025-242) s. 123(1) — in force October 1, 2026 — Federal, one rule for narcotics, controlled drugs and targeted substances: any document containing information recorded under the Regulations is “kept for two years after the day on which the last record is recorded in the document”. Records must permit an audit at any time (s. 122) and be legible and indelible (s. 125).
- Controlled Substances Regulations (SOR/2025-242) s. 109(2) — in force October 1, 2026 — Federal, and verbatim: “If a pharmacist becomes aware of a loss or theft of a controlled substance … the pharmacist must provide a written report to the Minister within 10 days after the day on which they become aware.” It replaced the three provisions below on October 1, 2026.
Primary sources for the figures on this page. Regulations change; confirm the current requirement with the source before you rely on it.