Contraceptives – information for health professionals

PharmaCare fully covers most contraceptives for any B.C. resident enrolled in the Medical Services Plan (MSP).

On this page: How it works | Procedures for prescribers and pharmacists | Covered contraceptives | Resources

How it works

• Prescribers do not need to complete any forms. They prescribe a fully covered contraceptive or help patients transition to one
• Patients do not need to register. They need to be enrolled in MSP. If they have applied and MSP coverage is pending, pharmacists can apply for exceptional Plan Z coverage
• All products need to be entered in PharmaNet by a pharmacist to be covered. For IUDs and implants, patients will need to book follow-up appointments for insertion
• Coverage is for contraceptives, regardless of the reason for the prescription

Procedures for prescribers and pharmacists

• Prescribe a fully covered contraceptive or switch a prescription to one that is fully covered. A full list of covered contraceptives is below
  • Alternatively, the PharmaCare Formulary Search will be updated regularly to reflect coverage changes. Click on the item's DIN/PIN in your search results to see coverage information: items covered under Plan Z are fully covered for any B.C. resident; items covered under Plan C or W are fully covered for people with Plan C or W coverage
• No prescription is needed for emergency contraceptives. Pharmacists must enter the dispense in PharmaNet (with their practitioner ID in the prescriber field)
• PharmaCare’s Full Payment Policy applies to fully covered contraceptives. Pharmacists may not charge for the drug, dispense, or anything else associated with filling the prescription

Covered contraceptives (last update: August 3, 2023)

Oral contraceptives

See also Oral contraceptives by ingredient and coverage status below

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredients	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2236974	Alesse 21	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2236975	Alesse 28	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2387875	Alysena 21	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2387883	Alysena 28	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2317192	Apri 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2317206	Apri 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2532174	Audrina 21	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2532182	Audrina 28	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2298538	Aviane 21	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2298546	Aviane 28	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg levonorgestrel 0.1 mg	Full benefit
2187086	Brevicon 0.5/35 (21)	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 0.5 mg	Full benefit
2187094	Brevicon 0.5/35 (28)	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 0.5 mg	Full benefit
2189054	Brevicon 1/35 (21)	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 1 mg	Full benefit
2189062	Brevicon 1/35 (28)	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 1 mg	Full benefit
2462060	Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit
2421437	Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit
2421445	Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit
2396491	Freya 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2396610	Freya 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2441306	Jencycla	norethindrone 0.35 mg	Full benefit
2272903	Linessa 21	ethinyl estradiol 25 mcg desogestrel 0.1/ 0.125/ 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2257238	Linessa 28	ethinyl estradiol 25 mcg desogestrel 0.1/ 0.125/ 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2417456	LOLO 28	noethindrone acetate 1 mg ethinyl estradiol 0.010 mg	Full benefit
2042487	Marvelon 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2042479	Marvelon 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2042320	Min-Ovral 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2042339	Min-Ovral 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2410249	Mirvala 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2410257	Mirvala 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg desogestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2410303	Movisse	norethindrone 0.35 mg	Full benefit
2415380	Mya	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit
2387085	Ovima 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2387093	Ovima 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2295946	Portia 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2295954	Portia 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.15 mg	Full benefit
2187108	Synphasic 21	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 0.5/ 1 mg	Full benefit
2187116	Synphasic 28	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norethindrone 0.5/ 1 mg	Full benefit
2508087	Tri-Cira 21	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
2508095	Tri-Cira 28	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
2486296	Tri-Jordyna 21	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
2486318	Tri-Jordyna 28	ethinyl estradiol 35 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
2401967	Tricira-Lo 21	ethinyl estradiol 25 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
2401975	Tricira-Lo 28	ethinyl estradiol 25 mcg norgestimate 0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25 mg	Full benefit
707600	Triquilar 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.05/ 0.075/ 0.125 mg	Full benefit
707503	Triquilar 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg levonorgestrel 0.05/ 0.075/ 0.125 mg	Full benefit
2261723	Yasmin 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2261731	Yasmin 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2321157	Yaz	ethinyl estradiol 20 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Partial benefit (talk to a pharmacist about free, generic options)
2410788	Zamine 21	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit
2410796	Zamine 28	ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg drospirenone 3 mg	Full benefit

Copper IUDs

PIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
66127954	Flexi-T 300	Full benefit
66128087	Flexi-T +300	Full benefit
66128088	Flexi-T 380	Full benefit
66128089	Liberte UT 380 Short	Full benefit
66128090	Liberte UT 380 Standard	Full benefit
66128091	Liberte TT 380 Short	Full benefit
66128092	Liberte TT 380 Standard	Full benefit
66128387	Liberté UT 380 Silver-Copper Standard	Full benefit
66128388	Liberté UT 380 Silver-Copper Short	Full benefit
66128153	Mona Lisa 10	Full benefit
66128154	Mona Lisa 5 Mini	Full benefit
66128390	Mona Lisa 5 Standard	Full benefit
66128158	Mona Lisa N	Full benefit
11200017	IUD exceptional

Hormonal IUDs

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredient	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2459523	Kyleena	levonorgestrel 19.5 mg	Full benefit
2243005	Mirena	levonorgestrel 52 mg	Full benefit

Contraceptive injection

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredient	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2523493	Depo-Provera	medroxyprogesterone acetate 150 mg	Full benefit

Hormonal implant

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredient	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2499509	Nexplanon	etonogestrel 68 mg	Full benefit

Hormonal vaginal ring

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredient	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2520028	Haloette	etonogestrel / ethinyl estradiol 11.7 mg / 2.7 mg	Full benefit
2253186	NuvaRing	etonogestrel / ethinyl estradiol 11.4 / 2.6 mg	Partial benefit

Emergency oral contraception

DIN (for pharmacist use)	Product	Ingredient	Benefit status (full benefit = free)
2425009	Contingency One	levonorgestrel 1.5 mg	Full benefit
2433532	Backup Plan One-step	levonorgestrel 1.5 mg	Full benefit
2293854	Plan B	levonorgestrel 1.5 mg	Partial benefit (patient pays a portion)

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Oral contraceptives by ingredients and coverage status (PDF)

BOLD: non-benefit
plain text: full benefit
starred*: partial benefit

Primary ingredient		Secondary ingredient
		ethinyl estradiol (EE) (mcg)						estetrol (mg)	no secondary ingredient
		10	20	25	30	35	30-40-30	15
desogestrel (mg)	0.15				Apri, Freya, Mirvala, Marvelon*
	0.1/ 0.125/  0.15			Linessa
drospirenone (mg)	3		YAZ Plus (+levomefolate), Mya, drospirenone/ EE tabs, YAZ*		Zamine, drospirenone/ EE tabs, Yasmin*			Nextstellis
	4								Slynd
levonorgestrel (mg)	0.1		Alysena, Audrina, Aviane, Alesse*
	0.15				Ovima, Portia, Min-Ovral* 91-day packs: Seasonale, Indayo, Seasonique (+ 7 days EE 10 mcg)
	0.05/ 0.075/ 0.125						Triquilar
norethindrone (mg)	0.35								Movisse, Jencycla
	0.5					Brevicon 0.5/35
	1	LoLo				Select 1/35, Brevicon 1/35
	0.5/ 1					Synphasic
norgestimate (mg)	0.18/ 0.215/ 0.25			Tricira-Lo		Tri-Cira, Tri-Jordyna