formulary

American  

[fawr-myuh-ler-ee] / ˈfɔr mjəˌlɛr i /

noun

• formularies
  plural

1. a collection or system of formulas.

2. a set form of words; formula.

3. Pharmacology. a book listing pharmaceutical substances and formulas for making medicinal preparations.

4. a list of prescription drugs covered by a health insurance plan.

   You can search the online drug formulary to see if your prescriptions are covered by the plan.

5. Ecclesiastical. a book containing prescribed forms used in the service of a church.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a formula or formulas.

   the formulary aspect of a science.

2. of the nature of a formula.

   He dispenses easy, formulary solutions to our problems.

formulary British  

/ ˈfɔːmjʊlərɪ /

noun

1. a book or system of prescribed formulas, esp relating to religious procedure or doctrine

2. a formula

3. pharmacol a book containing a list of pharmaceutical products, with their formulas and means of preparation

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a formula

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• formularies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of formulary

1535–45; < Middle French formulaire; see formula, -ary

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

formulary formularies

"We recognise that experiences of accessing medicines can vary, and we welcome the move towards a national formulary, of which we are an early adopter site, and aims to support greater consistency across the NHS."

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

We need federal legislation that prohibits PBMs and their affiliated companies from collecting fees based on drug prices, volume of drugs sold, or placement on a formulary.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

This could happen when drug manufacturers give incentives to pharmacy-benefit managers—the middlemen between drug companies and insurance plans—to include the pricier drug in the formulary.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

A blackout or formulary exclusion isn’t a loss for the supplier anymore—customers can go straight to the source instead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025

These categories are known only to the lawyers; and surely a student of the law cannot be at a loss to distinguish the substantial ground of action from a mere formulary of pleading.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, No. 359, September 1845 by Various

Specifically, PBMs require drug manufacturers to pay fees and rebates tied to a drug’s list price to secure placement on formularies.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

One bill would eliminate the perverse incentive for PBMs to put more expensive drugs on formularies — by delinking PBM compensation from the list price for drugs.

From Salon ● Nov. 22, 2024

When Sanofi changed course in 2014, one pharmacy benefit manager, CVS Caremark, did switch to Auvi-Q as its only auto-injector on some of its formularies, the panel noted.

From Reuters ● Apr. 17, 2023

Then there is the issue of formularies — the list of drugs an insurer will pay for.

From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2023

Cranmer was therefore enabled without let or hindrance to complete the preparation of the church formularies, on which he had been for some time engaged.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 6 "Coucy-le-Château" to "Crocodile" by Various