PharmaCare coverage for addiction and substance use disorders treatment

PharmaCare helps pay for treatments for several substance use disorders.

On this page: Opioid use disorder | Prescribed alternatives | Alcohol use disorder | Resources

 

Opioid use disorder

PharmaCare pays the full cost of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for B.C. residents.

• No forms to fill out
• Present your prescription at a pharmacy
• The pharmacy will need your Personal Health Number. Your Personal Health Number is on your driver’s licence, BC Services Card, or CareCard

If you are not yet enrolled in MSP, a pharmacist or prescriber can help you get temporary coverage of OAT.

What is opioid agonist treatment?

Opioid agonists are a treatment for opioid use disorder. They are medications that prevent withdrawal symptoms. Opioid withdrawal can pose health risks if not managed carefully. Symptoms include cravings, chills, sweating, nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and muscle aches.

Treatments that are automatically free

BC PharmaCare pays the full cost of these treatments:

• Methadone [Methadose® (cherry) and Metadol-D® (unflavoured)]
• Buprenorphine/naloxone generics. The brand name Suboxone® is partially covered (up to price of matching generic)
• 24-hour slow-release oral morphine (Kadian®)
• Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (brand name Sublocade®)

Opioid Treatment Access Line

Get connected to treatment. Call 1-833-804-8111 for immediate access to a prescription (start or restart) for opioid agonist treatment.

• Free services
• For any B.C. resident
• 9am – 4pm every day. Leave a voicemail after hours

You will speak to a trained doctor or nurse practitioner. They will prescribe opioid agonist treatment if appropriate. They can also connect you with health teams in your community.

Treatments that need a request for coverage

For some treatments, a prescriber needs to submit a request for coverage. This would be as a last resort if other forms of oral OAT have not worked for you.

This is called Special Authority coverage. It is available for:

• High-dose buprenorphine/naloxone tablets
• Compounded methadone
• A brand name version of a covered generic drug, for example in case of an allergy to the generic version

If PharmaCare approves the request, Special Authority coverage may be for a limited time. A prescriber will have to submit a new request when it ends.

Prescribed alternatives (formerly called prescribed safer supply) 

If you rely on non-prescribed opioids, benzodiazepines or stimulants, and are at high risk of harm from the toxic drug supply, a physician or nurse may prescribe a pharmaceutical alternative.

In B.C., if you are prescribed an alternative, a health care provider will be with you when you take your medication. They can monitor your health and your readiness for treatment and recovery services.

This means that you will not be able to take these medications home. Depending on the medication, you may need to go to the pharmacy or clinic often.

PharmaCare may cover some prescribed alternatives, depending on the medication and your PharmaCare coverage plan(s). Register for Fair PharmaCare and consider asking a prescriber about Plan G if you have financial barriers to getting treatment. 

To learn more about prescribed alternatives and PharmaCare, talk to a prescriber or pharmacist.

Alcohol use disorder

PharmaCare helps pay for some medications that treat alcohol use disorder. These medications are covered under Fair PharmaCare and Plans B, C, F, G, and W: 

• Naltrexone 

• Acamprosate 

Talk to a prescriber to find out if these medications are right for you. 

Register for Fair PharmaCare coverage and consider asking a prescriber about Plan G if you have financial barriers to getting treatment.