PRIME - All Existing PharmaNet Users Must Enrol Jan. 19, 2022

[UPDATED: AUGUST 23, 2023]

PRIME – ALL EXISTING PHARMANET USERS MUST ENROL 

All existing PharmaNet users, including registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must enrol in PRIME by August 31, 2023 in order to maintain their access to PharmaNet. 

All registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who currently use PharmaNet to provide health services within pharmacy practice settings, and those who use PharmaNet to support them, must enrol in PRIME by August 31, 2023. 

Beginning on February 1, 2022, pharmacy technicians will no longer be recognized as ‘on-behalf-of’ PharmaNet users, meaning that if they enrolled in PRIME before February 1, 2022, they must return to PRIME and enrol as independent users by August 31, 2023.

Pharmacy managers are encouraged to support their staff and ensure they enrol by the deadline. Some managers are sending reminder emails with links to PRIME resources (below).

All access to PharmaNet after August 31, 2023, without enrolment in PRIME, will be unauthorized. 

Who is Required to Enrol in PRIME?

All Existing PharmaNet Users

Existing PharmaNet users must enrol in PRIME during specific periods in 2023 to maintain their access to PharmaNet. 

August 31, 2023 – PRIME enrolment begins for registered pharmacy technicians, including those already enrolled as on-behalf-of users. 

All pharmacy technicians registered by the College of Pharmacists of BC need to enrol in PRIME by August 31, 2023.

By August 31, 2023 – PRIME enrolment begins for registered pharmacists. 

All pharmacists registered by the College of Pharmacists of BC who have not already enrolled in PRIME, must enrol between March 1, 2022 and April 30, 2022. No action is required for registered pharmacists who have already enrolled in PRIME. 

By August 31, 2023 – Prime Enrolment Begins for Anyone using PharmaNet on behalf of a pharmacist

Pharmacy assistants, pharmacy students, pharmacy technician students, and limited pharmacists (including temporary pharmacist students and temporary limited pharmacists) will need to enrol as an on-behalf-of user in PRIME by August 31, 2023 or your access to PharmaNet will be unauthorized. If you are already enrolled in PRIME, you do not need to enrol again. 

New Users

If you are a newly registered pharmacist or pharmacy technician and need to use PharmaNet, or if you are a new on-behalf-of user, you will need to enrol in PRIME to obtain access. 

WHAT IS PRIME? 

PRIME is an online application for eligible healthcare practitioners who need PharmaNet to provide health services. 

PRIME does not create PharmaNet access accounts. By enrolling in PRIME, individual users apply directly to the Ministry of Health for approval to access PharmaNet. 

PharmaNet is governed by the Pharmaceutical Services Act, the Information Management Regulation and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. PRIME satisfies the  legislated requirements of the Information Management Regulation under the Pharmaceutical Services Act by permitting the Ministry of Health to: 

• Determine the criteria for access to PharmaNet
• Approve and grant access to PharmaNet 
• Monitor and audit PharmaNet access
• Restrict, suspend, or terminate PharmaNet access. 

PRIME is an enrolment and user management system and does not replace the current point-of-service PharmaNet access software. PRIME provides the administrative capacity to effectively manage large numbers of PharmaNet users. 

ENROLLING IN PRIME

The PRIME enrolment window ends on August 31, 2023. Dedicated support is available during this time.

All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and their associated on-behalf-of users (such as pharmacy assistants) must enrol in PRIME by August 31, 2023 to maintain existing access to PharmaNet.

For a detailed list of steps, as well as a video tutorial on PRIME enrolment, please visit the PRIME page on the Government of BC’s website. Once you are ready to begin the enrolment process you can do so by visiting pharmanetenrolment.gov.bc.ca.

Registered pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will need the following to enrol as an independent user within PRIME: 

• The BC Services Card App
• Their Registration Number . This is not your e-services number
  
  • (You must enter exactly 5 digits in the Registration Number field. Add a leading 0 if your ID is less than 5 digits long e.g., 02347)
• The Email Address of the individual or area at their workplace that sets up PharmaNet access 
• The Renewal Date of your College registration (e.g. if your registration expires on June 30, 2022, your renewal date is July 1, 2022)   

You must sign the terms of enrolment to complete your enrolment

Note: When enrolling in PRIME, enter your name (surname and legal first name) exactly as it appears on your college registration. This will prevent delays in processing. This may be different than how your name appears on your mobile BC Services Card app.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

• PRIME web page (with video enrolment tutorial)
• Pharmacy Access to PharmaNet  
• Health Authority Facility Access to PharmaNet
• Private Community Health Practice Access to PharmaNet  
• The BC Services Card App
• CPBC – Pharmacist Registration
• PharmaNet Webpage
• ReadLinks - PRIME – New PharmaNet Users Must Enrol on Dec 1, 2020.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? 

Questions about PRIME should be directed to: 

1-844-397-7463 or [email protected]