PharmaCare Newsletter
Last updated on June 13, 2025
June 2025 PharmaCare Newsletter
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Indigenous cultural safety education requirement for pharmacists
As of April 1, all registered pharmacy professionals in British Columbia must complete a minimum of three hours of accredited or non-accredited Indigenous cultural safety, cultural humility, and anti-racism (ICSH/AR) learning activities every year, as part of their 15 hours of continuing education required for College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (CPBC) registration renewal.
This new requirement is part of CPBC's efforts to uphold the Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism Standard of Practice, address systemic racism and support culturally safe care for Indigenous clients.
Resources
- Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility and Anti-Racism Education for Pharmacy Professionals (CPBC web page)
- Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism Standard of Practice (CPBC)
Plan W web page for health professionals
For further support in delivering pharmacy care to First Nations clients, visit the new Plan W – Information for health professionals web page. The web page offers background information, practical guidance and essential resources for health professionals, including:
- History of Plan W and how the plan is designed to meet the unique needs of First Nations people in British Columbia
- How to support clients with accessing the unique benefits of Plan W, such as over-the-counter (OTC) drug and non-drug items, as well as coverage for drug benefits and services through other programs
- Additional resources and information to support health professionals in providing care that is considered culturally safe by First Nations clients
Resources
Office-use medications vs stock transfers
Office-use medications
Your office-use medications PHN, also known as an O-Med PHN, is used when a practitioner purchased medications or medical supplies from your pharmacy for use in their office. Office-use medications must be recorded in PharmaNet.
To record office-use medications in PharmaNet, create a PharmaNet profile using the purchasing office's name, and enter your unique pharmacy's O-Med PHN in the PHN field.
Never use the doctor's PHN to fill office medications or supplies. Never assign a PHN for a non-human.
If you do not know your O-Med PHN, you can consult the provider welcome email you received from HIBC or contact the PharmaCare Help Desk (1-800-554-0225) or the PharmaNet Data Quality Team (1-844-660-3200).
Stock transfers
A stock transfer includes the sale of drug inventories to other pharmacies for dispensing in their store. A pharmacy must not use its O-Med PHN or assign a PHN through PharmaNet for stock transfers.
Stock transfer transactions must not be transmitted in PharmaNet. The transaction must be recorded on the local pharmacy system only.
To record a stock transfer, create a profile in your local system with the pharmacy name and no PHN.
Stock transfer functions are unique to each pharmacy's local software; direct any questions to your pharmacy software vendor (and not to the PharmaCare Help Desk).
Resources
- PharmaNet for practitioners – O-Med PHNs
- PharmaCare Policy Manual, Section 3.1: Which Transactions to Submit on PharmaNet
TI Letter: Thyroid testing in primary hypothyroidism
The Therapeutics Initiative (TI) recently published a Therapeutics Letter that reviewed the evidence of thyroid testing in primary hypothyroidism.
Visit Thyroid testing in primary hypothyroidism to read the Letter.
Resources
National Blood Donor Week 2025
This year, National Blood Donor Week begins on June 8 and ends on June 14, which is World Blood Donor Day. National Blood Donor Week is a chance to celebrate and express gratitude to the dedicated donors, organizations and partners who help maintain and sustain the national blood system.
As demand on the health system grows, the number of donors must keep up. With the goal of attracting one million new donors over the next five years, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) has launched their new campaign Who's Saving Who? which highlights the reciprocal benefits of donating blood.
The campaign is an invitation to donors to "experience what you get when you give". Donors experience a sense of achievement, purpose, and a profound connection to others. For some, donating provides a sense of value and contribution.
CBS welcomes new donors for blood, plasma and platelets this National Blood Donor Week and World Blood Donor Day. To book an appointment to donate, visit www.blood.ca, use the Canadian Blood Services GiveBlood app or call 1-888-2DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
Resources
Health Gateway: A key tool for pharmacists and clients
Health Gateway provides a secure and convenient way for people aged 12 years and older in British Columbia to access their health information online. The portal allows clients to view a range of health records across multiple provincial systems.
Encouraging your clients to use Health Gateway helps empower them to make informed decisions and actively engage with their health information and healthcare.
During mail service disruptions, Health Gateway is an efficient, alternative way for clients to receive important health information.
Medications
Clients can view their prescription medication history dating back to 1995. This feature enhances medication safety, supports medication reconciliation, and allows clients to track their prescriptions from various pharmacies across British Columbia.
Special Authority request status
Health Gateway gives clients direct access to the status of their Special Authority requests. They can find out if a request has been submitted, and whether it was approved. The feature means fewer calls to prescriber offices and questions for pharmacists.
Immunization history and schedules
Clients can view their immunization history and schedules to ensure their vaccinations – and their dependents' vaccinations – are up to date. This feature is particularly valuable for children, travelers, and immunocompromised individuals.
Immunizations administered at pharmacies or travel clinics may occasionally appear under medications.
Health Gateway also displays:
- Lab results
- Imaging reports
- BC Cancer screening reminder and result letters
- Health and hospital visits
- Organ donor registration
Pharmacists promote Health Gateway
Pharmacists are in a unique position to encourage clients to use Health Gateway.
Consider promoting Health Gateway in your pharmacy by sharing posters, postcards, and digital materials, available at Health Gateway resources for health professionals.
Resources
Policy spotlight: Protective Words
Resources
RAT kit payment update
Since the last newsletter, PharmaCare has paid pharmacies for COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kit distribution as follows:
| Payment month | Payment date | ||
| January 2025 | June 2, 2025 | ||
| February 2025 | |||
| March 2025 |
Pharmacies are paid $75 for each case of RAT kits distributed, and pharmacists are reminded to enter the correct PIN for each case of RAT kits distributed.
RAT kit distribution program winds down
As announced in the May 2025 PharmaCare Newsletter, PharmaCare is winding down the RAT kit distribution fee program. The last day to order RAT kits that were eligible for the PharmaCare distribution fee was May 31, 2025.
Pharmacies have until June 30, 2025, to submit claims for the distribution fee for RAT kits that were:
- Ordered by May 31, 2025, and
- Opened for public distribution before June 30, 2025
Pharmacies are encouraged to order RAT kits from distributors, available free of charge until supplies run out. Pharmacy distributors have stockpiled kits to be available to pharmacies and stores until the supply is exhausted or expired (i.e., late 2026). Any kits that were ordered after May 31 are not eligible for the PharmaCare RAT kit distribution fee.
- BTNX: 66128325
- Artron: 66128338
Resources
- 2024 PharmaCare Provider Payment Schedule (PDF, 165KB)
- 2025 PharmaCare Provider Payment Schedule (PDF, 120KB)
Drug shortages
Nicorette® lozenges
The temporary shortage of Nicorette® 4 mg mint prescription lozenges reported in the April 2025 PharmaCare Newsletter has been resolved.
As a mitigation measure, PharmaCare temporarily covered over-the-counter (OTC) packaged Nicorette 4 mg mint lozenges (PIN: 80053100). This coverage has now ended.
Praziquantel (Biltricide)
Effective May 13, 2025, there is a shortage of praziquantel (Biltricide), DIN 2230897.
As a mitigation measure, Health Canada has authorized the use of Biltricide 600 mg tablets supplied from Middle Africa. Enter PIN 66128550 to process prescriptions. Please note that praziquantel (Biltricide) is not a PharmaCare benefit.
The expected resolution for this shortage is unknown.
Resources
Formulary and listing updates
Limited coverage benefits: cenobamate (Xcopri™), tocilizumab (Tyenne®), anifrolumab (Saphnelo®)
PharmaCare has added the following limited coverage items to the PharmaCare drug list. Special Authority approval is required for coverage.
| Drug name | cenobamate (Xcopri™) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date effective | May 20, 2025 | ||
| Indication | As an adjunctive therapy for the management of partial-onset seizures (POS) in adults with epilepsy who are not satisfactorily controlled with conventional therapy. | ||
| DINs |
02538652
|
Strength & form |
12.5 mg tablet 50 mg–100 mg starter kit 150 mg–200 mg starter kit |
| Drug name | tocilizumab biosimilar (Tyenne®) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date effective | May 27, 2025 | ||
| Indication |
For the treatment of: |
||
| DINs |
02552450 |
Strength & form | 80 mg/4 mL intravenous (IV) infusion vial 200 mg/10 mL IV infusion vial 400 mg/20 mL IV infusion vial 162 mg/0.9 mL prefilled syringe 162 mg/0.9 mL autoinjector pen |
| Note | The Biosimilars Initiative has begun the transition from tocilizumab originator biologic Actemra® to Tyenne® as the equivalent biosimilar product. Read Biosimilars Initiative: tocilizumab transition below for details. | ||
| Drug name | anifrolumab (Saphnelo®) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date effective | June 4, 2025 | ||
| Indication |
In addition to standard therapy for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody positive, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (based on SLE Disease Activity Index 2K score ≥6), whose disease activity cannot be controlled despite an oral corticosteroid (OCS) dose of ≥10 mg/day of prednisone or its equivalent. |
||
| DIN |
02522845 |
Strength & form | 150 mg/mL (300 mg/2 mL) solution in a vial for intravenous (IV) infusion |
Biosimilars Initiative: tocilizumab transition
The Biosimilars Initiative has begun the transition from tocilizumab originator biologic Actemra® to the equivalent biosimilar product Tyenne®. PharmaCare patients with coverage for Actemra must, in consultation with their prescriber, switch to the approved tocilizumab biosimilar to maintain coverage.
PharmaCare is providing 6-month transition coverage for patients currently using Actemra to allow time to switch. For patients with existing tocilizumab Special Authority (SA) approval, Tyenne will be automatically covered; prescribers do not need to submit a new SA request until the next renewal date (if applicable). SA requests for patients who are unable to transition to Tyenne will be considered on an exceptional case-by-case basis.
Prescribers can submit HLTH 5839 – Tocilizumab patient list request (PDF, 968KB) to request a list of their patients who are receiving PharmaCare coverage for Actemra so they can contact them to start the switch.
| Transition timeline | |||
| May 27, 2025 | May 27 to November 27, 2025 | November 28, 2025 | |
| All new SA requests, including renewals, for tocilizumab will only be approved for Tyenne. | To maintain a patient’s coverage, prescribers must write a new prescription for Tyenne for patients currently on Actemra, indicating a transition to Tyenne. | Actemra becomes a PharmaCare non-benefit (not covered), and only Tyenne is authorized for continued tocilizumab coverage. | |
Patient support fees
Pharmacists can help identify and notify patients who may be affected by the switch and let them know they need a new prescription for continued coverage. In recognition of this support, a $15 per patient support fee is offered to pharmacies. The fee is submitted as a PIN (66128548) in PharmaNet, and paid monthly, in accordance with the monthly payment schedule.
Only one patient support fee can be claimed per PHN. Support fees must be submitted within the switch period window.
Pharmacists play a valuable role in bringing positive awareness to the Biosimilars Initiative. Patients frequently turn to pharmacists for health information; their conversations with pharmacists often inform discussions with their prescribers.
A patient support fee is also available to prescribers. For more information, visit Biosimilars Initiative for health professionals.
Resources
- Biosimilars Initiative for health professionals
- 2025 PharmaCare Provider Payment Schedule (PDF, 120KB)
- HLTH 5839 – Tocilizumab patient list request (PDF, 968KB)
Low Cost Alternative program: Synthroid® to become partial benefit
Effective June 5, 2025, apo-levothyroxine will be a regular PharmaCare benefit. Under the Low Cost Alternative (LCA) program, the brand name drug Synthroid will become a partial benefit as of July 5, 2025.
Bioequivalence and interchangeability
As documented in its Regulatory Decision Summary for Apo-Levothyroxine, Health Canada has declared apo-levothyroxine to be bioequivalent to the brand name product Synthroid.
Criteria modification: lacosamide (Vimpat®, generics)
Effective May 20, 2025, PharmaCare modified the limited coverage criteria for lacosamide to reduce the requirement of four failed anti-epileptic medications to two.
Modified coverage criteria for lacosamide
For the treatment of partial-onset seizures in adults and to be used:
- As adjunctive therapy (in combination with at least ONE other anti-epileptic drug)
AND
- TWO other anti-epileptic medications have been tried without success
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.
Your Voice is now accepting input on the following drugs:
| Drug | Indication | Input window | |
| Relugolix, estradiol, and norethindrone acetate (Myfembree®) | Heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids in premenopausal women | May 28 to June 24 at 11:59 pm | |
| Guselkumab (Tremfya®) | Moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease in adults | May 28 to June 24 at 11:59 pm | |
| Hybrid closed-loop (HCL) insulin delivery system | Device systems used for management of diabetes requiring insulin therapy | June 4 to July 2 at 11:59 pm | |
About the PharmaCare Newsletter
The PharmaCareNewsletter is published on the first Wednesday of each month, with occasional mid-month special 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:
Praziquantel (Biltricide); fluorouracil 5% cream (Efudex®); peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys®) injection; calcitrol injection; carbamazepine CR tablets.
Visit Drug shortages for full list and details.