8.15 Rapid antigen test kit distribution

Last updated on May 6, 2025

PharmaCare is winding down payments to pharmacies for distribution of RAT kits. Policy 8.15 is in effect until June 30, 2025.

The last day to order RAT kits that are eligible for the PharmaCare distribution fee is May 31, 2025. Pharmacies have until June 30, 2025 to submit claims for the distribution fee for RAT kits that are:

ordered by May 31, 2025, and
opened for public distribution prior to June 30, 2025.

Late claims submitted after June 30 will not be reimbursed.

Distributors will continue to supply tests at no cost to pharmacies while program supplies last, though pharmacies cannot claim the distribution fee on tests ordered after May 31, 2025. All provincially supplied tests must be provided to patients free of charge. Pharmacies wishing to provide RAT kits after the provincial distribution program ends can do so through a private-pay model.

Refer to the May 2025 PharmaCare Newsletter for more details.

General policy description

Community pharmacies may claim a fee for distributing, at no charge to clients, publicly funded COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits and instruction sheets.

Policy details

Non-pharmacy staff may hand out RAT kits and instruction sheets, but pharmacy staff must enter the PIN in PharmaNet on opening a case (see Procedures). RAT kits must be distributed at no charge to the client. They must be handed out one at a time.

RAT tests, kits, and cases are to be managed separately from any retail stock and are not for resale. Please maintain your records of RAT cases received, as these claims are subject to PharmaCare audit and recovery.

Pharmacy eligibility

Any pharmacy that is a PharmaCare provider can qualify for the RAT kit distribution fee. The client they distribute kits to does not need to be covered by PharmaCare.

Patient eligibility

Kits can be given to anyone 18 and over. They do not need to be a B.C. resident. They do not need to show ID. They may collect a kit for another person. The pharmacy does not need to collect or record their PHN.

Procedures

A case of Rapid Response® COVID-19 antigen test (RAT) kits contains about 115 kits; the amount can range between 91 to 140 kits. Pharmacies will be paid $75.00 per case distributed, regardless of the number of kits in a case. A kit includes 5 tests.

The BCCDC instruction sheet is available for printing on the BCCDC website in several languages. A pharmacy may also provide a QR code that links to the instruction sheet, if the client prefers.

Health Canada periodically extends RAT kit expiry dates. Visit Health Canada’s web page, Authorized medical devices for uses related to COVID-19 and the BC Centre for Disease Control COVID-19 website for current information.

PharmaNet instructions for claiming the RAT kit distribution fees

1. On opening a case of Artron Rapid Response^® COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits, enter the PIN: 66128338. For a case of BTNX RAT kits enter the PIN: 66128325.

2. Enter your pharmacy’s O-Med PHN instead of the patient PHN.

3. Enter Quantity as the number of cases. Do not enter the quantity as the number of tests or kits. Claims are monitored to ensure that quantities are entered correctly.

4. The claim will adjudicate as a non-benefit and will be paid monthly. Payments will appear on the Pharmacy Remittance Advice Form under the Adjustment Code “7 – Manual Payment.”

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