Income Assistance and Family Services (Plan C)

Plan C covers 100% of the eligible cost of over a thousand prescription drugs, dispensing fees, some pharmacy services, and some medical devices and supplies.

On this page:

• Who is eligible for Plan C?
• What is covered?
• Other PharmaCare plans

Who is eligible for Plan C

You are eligible for Plan C if you are:

• Receiving income assistance, disability assistance, hardship assistance, or Medical Services Only through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR)
• A child or youth in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), including by agreement
• A child or youth in the care of an Indigenous Governing Body (IGB)
• Arriving in B.C. through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET)

If you are eligible, your enrolment in the programs listed above automatically enrols you in Plan C. You do not need to apply for Plan C separately. When you are no longer participating in these programs your enrolment in Plan C will end.

Emergency Plan C coverage

In some cases, a health care provider may request emergency Plan C coverage for you. This could happen if you are eligible for Plan C, for example receiving social assistance, but have not been enrolled in the plan yet.

Emergency Plan C provides up to 48 hours of PharmaCare coverage. This gives you time to get your prescriptions filled.

What is covered

Plan C pays for 100% of the cost of eligible drugs and dispensing fees.

Plan C covers many products, including:

• Prescription drugs and dispensing fees for high cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis, colitis, bacterial infections, opioid use, nicotine dependency, mental health, and more
• Prostheses and orthoses, including offloading devices for diabetic foot ulcers
• Ostomy supplies
• Plagiocephaly helmets for babies
• Insulin and insulin pumps (with an approved Special Authority request from a doctor)

To view if your medication is covered under Plan C, visit the PharmaCare Formulary Search and enter the medication name in the first field and select Income Assistance under PharmaCare Plan. This short how-to video explains how to use the Formulary Search: Does PharmaCare cover my medication?, 

When you fill a prescription, your BC PharmaCare coverage is applied right away, at the pharmacy counter.

You cannot be charged for medications or dispensing fees covered by Plan C. However, medical devices and supplies are exempt from PharmaCare’s Full Payment Policy and pharmacies and device providers may charge you an amount above the PharmaCare eligible maximum eligible cost.

Learn more about PharmaCare’s Full Payment Policy.

 Other PharmaCare plans

You can be covered by more than one PharmaCare plan. Learn about PharmaCare plans.

Even if you are covered by Plan C, you are strongly encouraged to register for Fair PharmaCare. This helps you get the best possible coverage, especially if your Plan C coverage ends.

All B.C. residents enrolled in MSP are automatically covered under the National Pharmacare Plan and PharmaCare plans Z (Assurance) and S (Smoking Cessation), which pay the full cost of eligible:

• Contraceptives
• Diabetes medications
• Menopausal hormone therapy
• Addiction and substance use disorders treatment
• Nicotine replacement treatments (patch, gum, lozenge)

BC PharmaCare also pays the full cost of many pharmacy services:

• The service cost of most drug and vaccine injections
• Prescription changes, renewals, and emergency supplies
• Pharmacist assessments (if appropriate) for many common minor ailments like urinary tract infections (UTIs), heartburn/GERD, pink eye, sprains and nicotine dependence, and for contraception

Learn more at Pharmacy Services in B.C.

Need help?

Staff at our Help Desk can answer questions about PharmaCare or your coverage. Help is available in over 140 languages.

Toll free: 1-800-663-7100

Monday to Friday: 8 am to 8 pm
Saturday: 8 am to 4 pm
(Limited hours on statutory holidays)

Telephone for the Deaf: Dial 711

Video Relay Services (VRS) sign language interpretation is free for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired.