BC PharmaCare: How Fair PharmaCare and Other Plans Work

Fair PharmaCare

Fair PharmaCare is open to anyone with active BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage who has filed an income tax return. You pay full cost until you reach your income-based deductible, then PharmaCare pays a share (usually 70%) until you reach your family maximum, after which it pays 100% for the rest of the calendar year. Lower-income families, and families with a member born before 1940, get more generous levels.

Other PharmaCare plans

• Plan B — residents of licensed long-term care facilities.
• Plan C — people receiving income assistance.
• Plan F — children in the At Home Program.
• Plan G — mental health medications for eligible people.
• Plan P — palliative care at home.
• Plan W — First Nations Health Benefits.

Free prescription contraception

Since April 2023, BC PharmaCare covers many prescription contraceptives in full for BC residents with MSP coverage, including pills, IUDs, implants and emergency contraception.

PharmaCare registration: step by step

• 1. Make sure everyone in your family has active MSP coverage and has filed a tax return for the year two years ago.
• 2. Have each adult's Personal Health Number (PHN) and Social Insurance Number ready.
• 3. Register for Fair PharmaCare online on the BC government site, or by phone through Health Insurance BC.
• 4. Give consent for PharmaCare to confirm your family's net income with the Canada Revenue Agency.
• 5. You'll be told your deductible and family maximum. Your coverage starts once you're registered, but it doesn't pay back costs from before you registered, so register early.
• If your income has dropped a lot since then, ask for an income review.

How Fair PharmaCare works in practice

Example: a family pays the full pharmacy price until they reach their deductible. After that, PharmaCare usually pays 70% of eligible costs, and the family pays 30%, until they reach their family maximum. After that, PharmaCare pays 100% for the rest of the calendar year. Your exact amounts depend on your family's net income, so check them with the BC government before you rely on them.

Frequently asked questions