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About the Guidelines

Last updated on April 30, 2026

Each BC Guideline is developed by a working group with content experts, primary care providers, relevant specialists, laboratory medicine pathologists, pharmacists, and key partners (including persons with lived experience). Member selection and progress are overseen by GPAC. A conflict-of-interest initial declaration and regular updates are required of all working group members.

Led by a physician chair and supported by a Ministry of Health research officer, each working group reviews current national and international guidelines, published evidence and healthcare practices in BC. Guideline drafts are prepared using a format template and undergo multiple rounds of revisions before being presented to GPAC to seek approval for dissemination for external review. This draft version is circulated for external review by peers, including academics, clinicians, nurse practitioners, and relevant non-profit medical societies and agencies. All feedback received from the external review is reviewed and further edited by the guideline working group. A final draft is presented to GPAC, the Laboratory and Blood Services Branch of the Ministry of Health, and the Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services for approval. The full guideline is published after receiving final approval by the Medical Services Commission.

 

Can I make copies of BC Guidelines and share them with colleagues?

GPAC authorizes the use and reproduction of BC Guidelines for purposes other than commercial redistribution, provided that the GPAC is acknowledged as the creator of the work. Partner Guidelines listed on BCGuidelines.ca may be subject to different copyright provisions.

Can I post copies of BC Guidelines on another website?

If you would like to post one of our guidelines to an external website, please simply provide a link to the original guideline posted on BCGuidelines.ca to ensure that the most up‐to‐date version is accessed.

How do I correctly reference a BC guideline within my own publication?

A reference to a BC guideline should be written in this form:

Medical Services Commission of British Columbia, Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee. insert guideline title. insert guideline year [updated year month day; cited year month day]. Available from http://www.bcguidelines.ca/.