Pharmacy Access to PharmaNet

PharmaNet is a secure computer network that links community and hospital pharmacies throughout the province.

PRIME is the web application that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy assistants use to request approval from the Ministry of Health to access PharmaNet.

As of December 1, 2020, all new PharmaNet users who will be delivering direct patient care need to enrol in PRIME before accessing PharmaNet. The terms of access signed in PRIME replace confidentiality undertakings practitioners previously signed. If you want to review the terms of access before you enrol in PRIME, please contact PRIMESupport@gov.bc.ca.

For details about enrolling, see PRIME.

Note: The PRIME application works best in certain browsers. It is not supported by Internet Explorer.

Graduating soon? ​Set up your mobile BC Services Card on your mobile device now! This will give you a head start for enrolling in PRIME.

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Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy assistants

If you did not have access to PharmaNet on November 30, 2020, you will need to enrol in PRIME before you may access PharmaNet.

If you have access to PharmaNet on November 30, 2020, then you do not need to enrol in PRIME at this time. However, you will need to enrol in PRIME by Spring 2022. Subscribe to the PRIME web page to be notified of the onboarding schedule.

You will need to enrol in PRIME

  • If you need access to PharmaNet for the first time 
  • If you had access to PharmaNet in the past but not on November 30, 2020 (e.g., you practiced in another province for a while, or failed to renew your College registration on time)

You do not need to enrol in PRIME at this time

  • To start a job at a new pharmacy
  • If your pharmacy changes PharmaNet software vendors
  • If you move to different care setting, such as a health authority facility
  • If you renew your College registration

If you need PharmaNet access before December 1, 2020, you will need to sign confidentiality undertakings. See College of Pharmacists of British Columbia.

 

Pharmacy students

If you are graduating soon, you will likely be registering with the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (CPBC) and eventually enrolling in PRIME to request approval from the Ministry of Health to access PharmaNet.

To save time, set up the mobile BC Services Card on your mobile device as soon as you can—before you start registration with the College. As soon as you are registered with the College, you will be able to enrol in PRIME immediately, even on the first day of a new job.  You will need the email address of the individual who provisions PharmaNet accounts at each of your places of work.

 

PharmaNet users without a BC Services Card (e.g., moving to B.C. or international)

If you will be accessing PharmaNet to deliver direct patient care, you will need to enrol in PRIME. A key component of enrolling in PRIME is having a mobile BC Services Card, which requires enrolment in the BC Medical Services Plan.

You will need to contact HIBC at least 30 days ahead of your first day of work to find out if you can obtain a BC Services Card in time, or to enrol for access to PharmaNet if you aren't eligible for a BC Services Card.

Contact PRIMESupport@gov.bc.ca to ask about your options for accessing PharmaNet.

 

Pharmacy owners/managers

To help your staff enrol in PRIME, you will need to identify a PharmaNet administrator in your company who either creates PharmaNet accounts for staff, or communicates with the PharmaNet software vendor to do so. Your staff will need this person's email address when they enrol in PRIME.

How to help your staff:

 

There is more information for pharmacists in a health authority facility at Health Authority Access to PharmaNet.