Appendix D—Policy Manual change log

August

Section 8.7 Capitation and GeoMod Fees for Plan B (Long-term Care) 

• Addition of Geographic Modifier (GeoMod) fee for beds occupied by a Plan B resident in a facility located in a Community Health Service Area (CHSA) defined as remote, rural, rural hub, small urban, or medium urban
• The GeoMod fee is $15 per occupied bed per month, and is paid in addition to the capitation fee and eligible drug costs

Section 8.16 Prescribed Alternatives Witnessing Fee

• Clarification of PA fee witnessing eligibility for in-person and virtual witnessing of ingestion of PAs

July

Section 8.17 Medication Administration Program (MAP) – new section

• From July 15, 2026, to January 2027, PharmaCare will pay a service fee of $8 per patient per day for each day that services are provided to the patient through the temporary Medication Administration Program (MAP)
• The fee is only paid to pharmacies that were approved by PharmaCare with an approved patient roster

June

Section 8.16 Prescribed Alternatives Witnessing Fee

• Clarification that "topical application" (to claim the PA witnessing fee) includes pharmacist-led removal and application of a fentanyl patch, or exchange of a used fentanyl patch for new fentanyl patches provided by a pharmacist 

May

Section 3.6 Patients - With Out-of-Province/Country Prescriptions

• Information added on temporary absences and border communities  

April

Section 8.8 Methadone Maintenance Payment Program 

• Updates to integrate the College of Pharmacists of BC's Health Professions and Occupations Act Bylaws practice standards on controlled drug substances delivery (Schedule E.14)
• Clarification of reimbursement rules for methadone doses that are delivered and subsequently witnessed

Section 5.18 Insulin Pump Supplies

• Clarification that the Full Payment Policy does not apply to insulin pumps or insulin pump supplies
• Clarification that insulin pumps are covered under Plan B

Section 5.17 Insulin Pumps

• Clarification of Special Authority requirements
• Reminder that pumps should be purchased within 6 months of Special Authority approval
• Reminder that the Full Payment Policy does not apply to insulin pumps

Section 5.16 Blood Glucose Testing 

• As of April 1, 2026, lancets, alcohol swabs and blood and urine ketone strips are covered under Fair PharmaCare, Plan C, and Plan F, with national pharmacare funding from the federal government
• PharmaCare does not cover a dispensing fee for these supplies; they are exempt from the Full Payment Policy

March

Section 5.1 Maximum Days Supply Policy

• New 30-day limit on maximum days' supply for certain drugs granted temporary coverage during a shortage

​Section 5.24 Drug Shortages 

• New 30-day limit on maximum days' supply for certain drugs granted temporary coverage during a shortage

Section 8.3 Frequency of Dispensing Policy – Fee Limits

• Clarification that PharmaCare will not pay frequent dispensing fees to a pharmacy if a pharmacist independently changes a prescription ordered for daily dispensing to a less frequent schedule; only the prescriber can authorize that change for the frequent dispensing fees to be covered

Section 6.3 Special Authority Coverage 

• Pharmacists can submit SA requests in long-term care (LTC) settings on behalf of a collaborating prescriber
• Reminder of all circumstances under which pharmacists may submit SA requests
• Clarification that PharmaCare expects SA requests to be submitted as part of comprehensive care provided within the submitter's current clinical practice
• Statement that PharmaCare does not accept submissions from organizations that only handle SA requests, patient support programs, or other groups or businesses that are not part of collaborative, comprehensive patient care

Section 7.14 National Pharmacare (Plan NP) – new section

• The universal National Pharmacare Plan (Plan NP) launched on March 1, 2026, providing 100% coverage for select diabetes medications, menopausal hormone therapy, and contraceptives for all MSP-enrolled residents. The federal government contributes funding
• Regulation of the price of insulin as a PharmaCare benefit began on March 1, 2026. Insulin coverage is now subject to the Maximum Pricing Policy and Full Payment Policy, replacing previous retail-price coverage
• The contraceptives previously covered under Plan Z (Assurance) are now covered under Plan NP

February

Section 7.12 First Nations Health Benefits (Plan W) 

• Clarification that a dispensing pharmacists may receive a recommendation written by another pharmacist, and fill the recommendation under the recommending pharmacist’s name, under the prescriber field in PharmaNet. The dispensing pharmacist may still claim the dispensing fee
• A Plan W OTC recommendation can be documented on any form, as long as it includes the information required for the Plan W OTC recommendation form (HLTH 4571)
• The client’s signature is no longer required for Plan W OTC recommendations
• Pharmacists can authorize Plan W OTC refills

January

Section 8.3: Frequency of Dispensing Policy – Fee Limits 

• Maximum number of dispensing fees PharmaCare will pay per day changes from three to two for clients receiving daily dispensing

Section 8.2 Dispensing Fees

• PharmaCare increases the maximum it will pay for a dispense, from $10 to $11

Not all updates in 2025 are represented below.

New sections added in 2025:

• Section 8.16 Prescribed Alternatives Witnessing Fee (December)
• Section 3.21 Office-Use Medications (July)