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Patient care during states of emergency and evacuations

Last updated on January 24, 2024

Evacuees during states of emergencies and natural disasters such as wildfires and floods may be without their medications, medication plans, prescriptions or health records. Pharmacists can support continuity of care for evacuees by applying the PharmaCare policies and claims procedures on this page.

If patient does not have an active prescription or prescription is at home pharmacy

1. Follow the College of Pharmacists of BC's PPP 31―Emergency Prescription Refills (PDF)

2. If dispensing medication is appropriate, submit the claim:

i. PRACT ID Ref field, enter P1—College of Pharmacists of BC.

ii. PRACT ID field, enter your College ID

iii. Enter two intervention codes:

  • UF—Patient Gave Adequate Explanation & Filled as Written (this prevents a “CL–Exceeds Good Faith Limit” response if patient has more than a 14-day supply remaining)
  • NN—Emergency Supply of Medication

3. Document the reason for use of the UF code, for audit purposes.

For more information, visit Clinical Services Fees — Section 8.4, PharmaCare Policy Manual.

Extending Special Authority

If a patient needs an extension of recently expired Special Authority coverage, contact the PharmaNet Help Desk.

If patient has a restriction in PharmaNet

If the patient has a restriction in PharmaNet, call the PharmaNet Help Desk and request a temporary lifting of the restriction.

LTC residents and Plan B

If a resident of a long-term care (LTC) facility is evacuated to a different facility, the pharmacy that provides services to the receiving facility will ordinarily provide pharmacy services to the evacuee, even if the evacuee’s home facility is not registered to provide Plan B.

When requested by a health authority, the home pharmacy or a LTC facility to provide Plan B services to evacuees, the receiving pharmacy must email the following information to HIBC Information Support:

  • Number of evacuees
  • Name of the facility in which the evacuees are temporarily lodged
  • Date the evacuees arrived
  • Name of the facility the evacuees came from (if known)

The receiving pharmacy must also email HIBC Information Support when the pharmacy stops providing services, i.e., once the evacuees return to their home facility:

  • Number of evacuees they provided services to
  • Name of facility the evacuees were temporarily lodged in
  • Name of facility the evacuees came from (if known)
  • Date the evacuees arrived
  • Last day of providing services to the evacuees

Additional appointed pharmacy

The receiving facility may need to arrange for a second pharmacy to provide services to evacuees. For example, the receiving facility may request that the pharmacy that ordinarily serves the evacuees at their home facility continue to provide services for the evacuees.

In this case, the receiving facility must complete an Additional Appointed Pharmacy for Long-Term Care (LTC) Evacuation form. The form is available from HIBC. It:

  • Documents which pharmacy is responsible for pharmacy services for evacuees, and
  • Authorizes Plan B pharmacy payments related to evacuees

The receiving facility or the additional appointed pharmacy can contact HIBC Information Support to request an Additional Appointed Pharmacy for LTC Evacuation form.

Travel supply 

If an evacuee is leaving B.C. because of the evacuation, the Travel Supply Policy — Section 5.4, PharmaCare Policy Manual can be applied. This allows for a topping up of a prescription supply (twice a year) to the maximum days’ supply recognized by PharmaCare, for occasions when the patient has more than 14 days’ supply on hand.

  • Have the patient complete and sign a Travel Declaration form
  • Reverse the claim and re-submit with the intervention code MV–Vacation Supply
  • Retain the signed Travel Declaration form for audit purposes