BC PharmaCare plans – information for health professionals
Last updated on April 1, 2026
This page is for health professionals. It links to information about PharmaCare's coverage plans and select benefits. A person can be covered by several plans at once.
For most plans, a person must be a B.C. resident actively enrolled in MSP. Exceptional Plan Z and Plan G coverage, and in some cases Plan P coverage, is available for people in the MSP wait period. Healthcare providers must register clients for Plan G and Plan P.
These five primary plans cover a wide range of benefits:
- Fair PharmaCare - please always encourage clients to register at gov.bc.ca/ahdc
- Plan B (Long-term Care)
- Plan C (Income Assistance and Family Services)
- Plan F (Children in the At Home Program)
- Plan W (First Nations Health Benefits)
Seven supplemental plans cover specific items related to specific conditions and/or patient groups:
For items not covered under the supplemental plans, individuals must register for Fair PharmaCare or qualify for coverage under another primary plan.
Coverage, criteria and procedures for specific medications: Contraceptives | Diabetes medications | Menopausal hormone therapy | Opioid agonist treatment | Paxlovid | Prolastin-C | COPD inhalers
Share the PharmaCare Compass with your clients, to help them understand what PharmaCare covers for them.
Fair PharmaCare Plan
Coverage under the Fair PharmaCare Plan is based on income. It is the only plan that people register for on their own. They provide their Social Insurance Number and consent for their income to be checked each year with the Canada Revenue Agency to set their deductible and family maximum. Over 1.3 million B.C. families are registered for Fair PharmaCare coverage.
Please encourage all your clients to register at www.gov.bc.ca/ahdc or over the phone at 1-800-663-7100. You can print off the Fair PharmaCare information sheet (available in 15 languages).
Fair PharmaCare appears in the PharmaCare Formulary Search as Plan I.
Long-term Care (Plan B)
Plan B provides 100% coverage of eligible prescription drugs and medical supplies for permanent residents of licensed long-term care facilities that are registered to be Plan B providers. When someone becomes a permanent resident of a Plan B facility, they are automatically covered. Plan B does not apply to people staying in extended-care, acute-care, multi-level, or assisted-living facilities or short-term patients in a licensed long-term care facility.
- Learn more: Section 7.3, PharmaCare Policy Manual
Income Assistance and Family Services (Plan C)
Plan C automatically covers 100% of the cost of many prescription drugs, some medical devices and supplies, and dispensing fees for B.C. residents receiving benefits and income assistance through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR), or in the care of or an agreement with Ministry of Children and Family Services (MCFD).
Individuals covered by Plan C are encouraged to register for Fair PharmaCare, so if Plan C coverage ends, Fair PharmaCare coverage will begin automatically.
Children in the At Home Program (Plan F)
Plan F covers 100% of the cost of eligible prescription drugs and medical supplies for children and teens with complex health care needs, who are receiving benefits through the The At Home Program of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). MCFD organizes the client's PharmaCare coverage.
Individuals covered by Plan F are encouraged to register for Fair PharmaCare, so if Plan F coverage ends, Fair PharmaCare coverage will begin automatically.
First Nations Health Benefits (Plan W)
Plan W covers 100% of the cost of many prescription drugs, some medical devices and supplies, dispensing fees, and certain over-the-counter drugs and non-OTC items. If you have a First Nations client who wants to be enrolled in Plan W, please have them contact FNHA at 1-855-550-5454.
- Learn more:
Cystic Fibrosis (Plan D)
Plan D covers 100% of the cost of eligible digestive enzymes in the Plan D formulary and partial or full coverage of other products in the formulary, depending on a client's other PharmaCare plan (i.e., Plan C, Plan F, Plan W, or Fair PharmaCare). Clients register with a provincial cystic fibrosis clinic to get coverage.
Psychiatric Medications (Plan G)
The Psychiatric Medications plan (Plan G) covers 100% of the cost of many psychiatric medications and drugs to treat opioid use disorder when cost is a serious barrier to a person getting treatment (i.e., less than $42,000 adjusted family net income plus $3,000 per dependent). Prescribers apply for Plan G coverage on the patient's behalf. Plan G coverage is for a limited time. Please support clients in renewing their coverage. Exceptional coverage is also available in certain circumstances.
- Learn more:
Palliative Care (Plan P)
Plan P covers 100% of the cost of eligible medications for B.C. residents who have reached the end stage of a life-threatening disease or illness and who wish to receive palliative care at home (including with family or friends, in a supportive/assisted living residence, or hospice unit at a long-term care facility). Physicians and nurse practitioners register patients.
- Learn more:
Assurance Plan (Plan Z)
Plan Z automatically covers 100% of the cost of Mifegymiso, opioid use disorder treatment (OAT), Paxlovid, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) medications for any B.C. resident, though exceptional coverage is available to new B.C. residents in the wait period for MSP. No registration required. As of March 1, 2026, the same contraceptives previously covered under Plan Z are now covered under the National Pharmacare Plan (Plan NP).
- Learn more:
National Pharmacare (Plan NP)
National Pharmacare covers 100% of the cost of many contraceptives, diabetes medications and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for any B.C. residents. Exceptional coverage is available to new B.C. residents in the wait period for MSP.
- Learn more:
Smoking Cessation (Plan S)
Plan S covers 100% of the cost of nicotine gum, lozenges or patches, and some or all of the cost of certain smoking cessation prescription drugs for B.C residents of any age. A pharmacist enrols people in the program.
- Learn more:
British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Plan X)
Plan X covers antiretroviral drugs for HIV-positive individuals through the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.
- Learn more: PharmaCare Policy Manual, Section 7.11: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Plan X)
Medication Management (Plan M)
Plan M covers individuals for eligible services provided by pharmacies, such as clinical services, medication reviews, and publicly funded vaccinations.
PharmaCare coverage and MSP enrolment
Most PharmaCare plans require people to be enrolled in MSP to receive coverage. This means they have completed the Application for Health and Drug Coverage and, usually, presented their identification at an ICBC driver licensing office (adults), and reached the end of the MSP wait period, which is two months plus the balance of the month they started living in B.C.
Coverage is available under Plan Z and Plan G for people living in B.C. who are not yet actively enrolled in MSP.
MSP enrolment
To enrol in MSP and obtain a photo BC Services Card, most adults must complete two steps:
- Submit the Application for Health and Drug Coverage (AHDC), and
- Attend an ICBC driver licensing office to provide primary and secondary identification. Note: Children and temporary document holders don’t need to attend an ICBC office. They will be issued a non-photo BC Services Card
MSP coverage becomes active once MSP enrolment is complete and the resident has completed the wait period consisting of the balance of the month in which they established residency in B.C., plus two months.
Once these two steps are done, MSP coverage becomes active after the balance of the month in which you established residency in B.C., plus two months.
First Nations clients
First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) manages MSP for First Nations people in B.C. Status First Nations people can enrol for MSP through the First Nations Health Benefits program (Plan W). The MSP enrolment application is available online or by calling First Nations Health Benefits at 1-855-550-5454.
Share information with your clients
PharmaCare pamphlets for the public are available in 15 languages. Please print and share with your clients. Post the QR Matrix Sheet (PDF) in your office or pharmacy for easy access.