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

In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Xonvea is included in its official list of approved prescription medications, called the formulary.

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

Just make sure that all the medications you take are on your plan’s formulary, the list of covered drugs, since the spending cap applies only to drugs on the coverage list.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

You can also look up the document known as a formulary, which lists the drugs that a plan covers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025

This formulary is now accepted by the Episcopalian Churches of Scotland, Ireland, and America.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2 Amiel to Atrauli 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

Finally, PBMs use their consolidated power to keep drugs off of health plan formularies — unless manufacturers pay exorbitant fees.

From Salon ● May 31, 2025

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

Insurers regularly change their formularies, so you may need to switch plans to get the best coverage.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 13, 2022

The voice of history is unanimous on this point, nearly all the Fathers testifying to the use of formularies.

From The Church Handy Dictionary by Anonymous