PharmaCare Newsletter
Last updated on October 6, 2025
October 2025 PharmaCare Newsletter
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Labour dispute interrupts some PharmaCare services
The Ministry of Health building in Victoria has been subject to labour action from the British Columbia Government Employees Union and the Professional Employees Association since September 23, 2025. This action affects all work units within the Pharmaceutical Services area, including Special Authority, PharmaNet Profiles, and PharmaNet Data Quality. PharmaNet profile requests and any required corrections to clinical records in PharmaNet will not be processed until the labour dispute is resolved. Special Authority requests are being processed but non-urgent requests may be delayed.
At this time, BCGEU job actions may affect HIBC services including:
- Receipt and delivery of mail by provincial BC Mail Plus services;
- Processing and response to forms and letters sent to HIBC;
- HIBC phone response times.
During the job action period: for the quickest possible processing time, please use online or fax submission of forms and other documents where possible. If you or a patient under your care have submitted a form or other document to HIBC, please allow 21 business days for processing and response before contacting us regarding the status.
2025 flu season vaccines; pharmacist guide to immunizations
B.C.’s 2025-26 viral respiratory illness vaccination campaign is scheduled to start on October 14, 2025. The Province will continue to provide influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at no-cost to residents of B.C. six months of age and older this fall and winter. People who are at high-risk of health complications are encouraged to get the vaccines.
The following influenza vaccines will be available to the public this year:
- DIN 02365936 - Fluzone (trivalent) multi-dose vial
- DIN 02365707 - Fluzone (trivalent) prefilled syringe
- DIN 02420686 - Fluviral (triavalent)
- DIN 02352621 - FluMist (trivalent) nasal spray
- DIN 02362384 – Fluad (trivalent)
The following vaccines will also be available for private purchase (use the appropriate PIN when recording a claim for a privately purchased vaccine in PharmaNet):
- Flumist (trivalent) nasal spray, PIN 66128578
- Fluzone (trivalent) (prefilled syringe), PIN 66128576
- Fluzone (trivalent) multi-dose vial, PIN 66128577
- Fluad (trivalent), PIN 66124872
For information on COVID-19 claim submission, visit the publicly funded vaccines webpage.
In addition to influenza and COVID-19, people 65 years of age and older and those with underlying health conditions can also receive the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 20-valent (PCV20) at no charge if they have not been vaccinated before. PCV20 (PREVNAR 20) replaces the 13-valent (PREVNAR 13) previously used for children and 23-valent (PNEUMOVAX 23) vaccine previously used for seniors under the provincial immunization program:
- PREVNAR 20, PIN 66128549
Reminder: Confirming prescriber details in PharmaNet
The Ministry of Health continues to receive reports of pharmacies providing patients with personal contact information for practitioners, such as address or personal cellphone number.
When these practitioners contacted the pharmacy, they were told the details came from PharmaNet, but we have confirmed this was not the case. Prescriber colleges upload contact information to PharmaNet that was provided by their registrants. Please use the TIP (practitioner information lookup) transaction in PharmaNet to confirm prescriber details, and do not print out or otherwise provide it to patients.
Requesting exceptional access to Prolastin-C
Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has released instructions for prescribers to request exceptional access to Prolastin-C for patients with a documented intolerance to Glassia.
CBS will consider exceptional requests for Prolastin-C on a case-by-case basis. To request exceptional access, prescribers:
1. Contact Canadian Blood Services with a request to transition a patient to Prolastin-C. The patient must already be approved for Glassia.
2. Provide details of the patient's adverse reaction(s)/intolerance to Glassia. Prescribers must inform patients that patient support programs do not assist with Prolastin-C infusions. Patients must coordinate infusions directly with hospitals or self-infuse at home.
Exceptional access requests are reviewed by CBS clinicians, who will then send their recommendation to the Blood Services director at the Ministry of Health for approval.
As announced in the July 2024 PharmaCare Newsletter, PharmaCare delisted the alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor Prolastin-C, as CBS added the alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor Glassia to its formulary. For more details on the transition and prescriber resources, visit Prolastin-C and Glassia.
For questions, contact the Blood Services branch by emailing BCBloodServices@gov.bc.ca.
Resources
Updates: Systane drops & ointment
PharmaCare has received notice that Alcon has made packing changes to several of their products, including Systane® original 15 mL (DIN: 02248967) and Systane® ointment 3.5 g (DIN: 02444062). The Systane products will remain available, though they will no longer have DINs.
Pharmacists can use the product’s PIN to submit the claim for coverage as a Plan W OTC item. For a list of all Plan W OTC item PINs, visit Plan W OTC drug list.
| Drug name | Systane® original | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Expiry of last lot | October 31, 2025 | ||
| Drug class | Lubricant eye drops | ||
| DINs | 02248967 | Strength & form | 15 mL bottle, drops |
| PIN for Plan W coverage | 11200026 | ||
| Drug name | Systane® ointment | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Expiry of last lot | May 31, 2027 | ||
| Drug class | Lubricant eye ointment | ||
| DIN | 02444062 | Pack size & form | 3.5 g tube ointment |
| PIN for Plan W coverage | 11200025 | ||
Discontinuations: cyclophosphamide, insulin products
| Drug name | cyclophosphamide (Procytox) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anticipated discontinuation date | effective immediately | ||
| Expiry of last lot | May 31, 2026 | ||
| Drug class | Alkylating agent | ||
| DIN | 02241795 | Strength & form | 25 mg tablets |
| Special notes | 50 mg dosage strength remains available with no change to their PharmaCare coverage | ||
| Drug name | cyclophosphamide (Procytox) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Anticipated discontinuation date | effective immediately | ||
| Expiry of last lot | December 31, 2026 | ||
| Drug class | Alkylating agent | ||
| DIN | 02241797 | Strength & form | 200 mg/20 mL for injection |
Your Voice: Input needed for drug decisions
The knowledge and experience of patients, caregivers and patient groups is integral to B.C.'s drug review process. If you know someone who is taking one of the drugs below or who has a condition any of the drugs treat, please encourage them to visit www.gov.bc.ca/BCyourvoice.
No new drugs will be added for Your Voice input until the BCGEU/PEA labour dispute is resolved.
About the PharmaCare Newsletter
The PharmaCareNewsletter is published on the first Wednesday of each month, with occasional mid-month releases. The PharmaCare Newsletter communicates drug listings, PharmaCare policy, PharmaNet procedures, and other pertinent information for PharmaCare providers and health care partners.
Information in previous newsletters is accurate as of the date it was published. Newsletters are not retroactively updated when policy, procedures or other information changes. Refer to the most recent mention of a topic for up-to-date information.
Search past newsletters on the Newsletter search page.
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The PharmaCare Newsletter team works from the territory of the Lekwungen People, including the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. Our gratitude extends to them, and all the Indigenous Peoples on whose territories and lands we build relationships.
BC PharmaCare counts on pharmacy and device providers to practise cultural safety and humility.
To learn more, read Coming Together for Wellness, a series of articles by First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and PharmaCare, and consider taking the online San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety course.
Active advisories
teva-emtec-30; ipratropium nebules; disopyramide capsules; olanzapine for injection; praziquantel (Biltricide); fluorouracil 5% cream (Efudex®); peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys®) injection; calcitrol injection.
Visit Drug shortages for full list and details.