Rapid antigen test (RAT) kits

Last updated on July 1, 2025

PharmaCare is winding down payments to pharmacies for distribution of RAT kits. The last day to order RAT kits that are eligible for the PharmaCare distribution fee was May 31, 2025; the last day to submit claims was June 30, 2025.

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.

RAT kit distribution fee program has ended

The last day to order RAT kits that are eligible for the PharmaCare distribution fee was May 31, 2025. Pharmacies had 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 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. 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.

Patient instruction sheets

The BCCDC instruction sheet is available for printing in several languages.

Patient instruction sheet for BTNX test (PDF) – English
- ASL | Arabic | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Farsi | French | Korean | Punjabi | Spanish | Vietnamese | Tigrinya | Russian | Ukrainian
Patient instruction sheet for Artron test (PDF) – English
- ASL | Arabic | Simplified Chinese | Traditional Chinese | Farsi | French | Korean | Punjabi | Spanish | Vietnamese | Tigrinya | Russian | Ukrainian

For more details, visit Section 8.15, Rapid antigen test kit distribution, PharmaCare Policy Manual

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