Enrol as a PharmaCare provider

This web page is for pharmacies (community and hospital), device distributors and device providers (pharmacy and non-pharmacy). It is about how to enrol as a PharmaCare provider and register for access to PharmaNet.

PharmaCare providers can submit eligible claims to PharmaCare on behalf of patients. Enrolled providers get real-time adjudication of claims. They can see how much PharmaCare can cover.

The Provider Regulation ("the Regulation") under the Pharmaceutical Services Act ("the Act") sets out enrolment criteria for pharmacies, facilities, and other places where drugs, devices, substances or related services are provided ("sites"). It also sets out the commercial terms for the Province of British Columbia's relationship with enrolled providers.

To enrol in PharmaCare as a provider, you will need to read the guide and fill out the relevant forms:

• PharmaCare Provider Enrolment Guide
• HLTH 5432 - PharmaCare Provider Enrolment form (PDF, 604KB)
• HLTH 5432A - Schedule A: Owner Details (PDF, 512KB)
• HLTH 5432B - Schedule B: Additional Sites (PDF, 512KB)
• HLTH 5432C - Schedule C: Additional Information (PDF, 497KB)

If your information changes after you have enrolled, you will need to submit a change form: HLTH 5433 - PharmaCare Provider Change form (PDF, 735KB)

For more information about enrolment, see Provider Enrolment — Section 2, PharmaCare Policy Manual.

Providing false or inaccurate information in the enrollment process is a serious matter. You may wish to seek legal advice on completing the forms.

Enrolment forms and supporting documents must be dated no more than three months from your opening date. If they are older than three months, they are considered stale-dated, and you will need to re-submit your enrollment forms and supporting documents.

PharmaNet

PharmaNet is a secure network linking community pharmacies and other authorized clinical users in British Columbia. It records every medication dispensed in community pharmacies and gives health care providers controlled access to their clients' dispensing histories. PharmaNet protects against dangerous medication interactions, prescription fraud and drug abuse. Connection is provided by approved software vendors.

All B.C. community pharmacies and hospital pharmacies licensed as community pharmacies are required to record their dispenses and PharmaCare claims in PharmaNet. Out-of-province pharmacies cannot have access to PharmaNet and must submit claims to PharmaCare manually.

Device providers and device distributors are not required to have PharmaNet access to submit claims. They can opt to submit claims manually.

PRIME

PharmaNet user enrolment

PRIME is the online system for registering a site and enrolling users for access to PharmaNet, which requires Ministry of Health approval. PRIME makes sure that PharmaNet access can be thoroughly monitored; it protects patient and practitioner information from unauthorized use.

All individuals who will be accessing PharmaNet to deliver patient care are required to enrol in PRIME. This includes pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students. Read more about PRIME enrolment on the PRIME web page.

Site registration

Eventually, all PharmaCare providers will need to register each physical location where PharmaNet is used (“site”) in PRIME. Currently, only private community health practices register their sites in PRIME. In PRIME terminology, a “site” is a combination of a physical location where PharmaNet is used and a specific PharmaNet software vendor. So if you use more than one software vendor for PharmaNet access, you would have more than one PharmaNet site in PRIME. If you operate multiple locations, each one is a unique PharmaNet site, with its own site ID.

A community pharmacy will have to contract an approved PharmaNet software vendors before registering a site in PRIME: