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PharmaNet Patient Record

PharmaNet provides pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with current information about all prescription medications dispensed to you anywhere in BC. Using PharmaNet, pharmacists can quickly identify potentially harmful medication interactions. Your PharmaNet Patient Record information is also available to hospital emergency departments and some medical practices, hospitals and mental health facilities.

PharmaNet:

  • Helps to prevent accidental duplication of prescriptions and prescription fraud
  • Protects you from drug interactions and dosage errors
  • Promotes the cost-effective use of drugs
  • Offers authorized health professionals the comprehensive medication information they need to give you high quality care
  • Provides immediate adjudication of claims under the BC PharmaCare program.
Access to your own PharmaNet Patient Record

You can request a printed copy of your PharmaNet Patient Record through your local pharmacy. Your pharmacist will submit the request to the Ministry of Health, who will mail the information directly to you. 

To request your PharmaNet Patient Record you must provide Positive Identification at the pharmacy. Positive identification is:

  • 1 piece of Primary Identification (birth certificate; citizenship card; Canadian Record of Landing; Canadian-issued student, employment or visitor authorization; Diplomatic passport; Federal Ministers permit approved by the B.C. Minister of Health; credit card with embedded photo of the cardholder) OR
  • 2 pieces of Secondary Identification (Drivers licence; Passport; Native Status Card; Canadian Forces ID Card; Canadian police identification card; Provincial or territorial identification card)

The PharmaNet Patient Record you receive in the mail will include:

  • Your demograhic information on record with the Ministry of Health
  • All medications dispensed to you by community pharmacies or hospital outpatient pharmacies in BC during the past 14 months
  • Accesses made to your PharmaNet Patient Record by pharmacists, Emergency Department physicians, private physicians, the College of Pharmacists of BC or the College of Physicians of BC during the past 3 years..

The PharmaNet Patient Record does not include any details about the costs of the medications dispensed to you. You can request this information from the pharmacy that dispensed the medication to you, or from Pharmacare for those medications paid for or covered by PharmaCare.

You may obtain a PharmaNet Patient Record that includes medications dispensed more than 14 months ago, and/or which includes accesses to your patient record more than 3 years ago by contacting the PharmaNet Support Services at 1.888.952.1432 or [email protected]

All non-patient requests must be sent to PharmaNet Profiles Services using the Ministry of Health Consent for Release of PharmaNet Patient Record form (HLTH 5551). 

PharmaNet Record Keyword 

The PharmaNet system contains many security features to prevent unauthorized access to your Patient Record. However, if you still have concerns about security, you may attach a confidential keyword, of your choice, to your Patient Record.

A keyword is a security feature that "locks" your PharmaNet Patient Record and limits access to only those with whom you have shared your KEYWORD. The KEYWORD may be stored on the local pharmacy computer with your consent.

You must present Positive Identification to your pharmacist before you may attach, change, or delete your keyword.

If your Patient Record has a keyword and you have not consented to it being stored on the local pharmacy computer system, you must provide the keyword to your pharmacist:

  • each time you bring a prescription to the pharmacy
  • each time your physician phones your prescription to your pharmacist
  • each time you request a refill of your prescription
  • each time you request information about your prescriptions (e.g. allergies recorded, number of refills remaining, prescription costs, etc.)
  • each time a physician requests information from your Patient Record on your behalf, even in the case of an emergency.

You will also have to provide your keyword in an Emergency Department or to your private physician. In the case of an emergency where you are unable to provide you keyword, the Emergency Department physician can contact the PharmaNet Help Desk 24 hours per day and request that your keyword be removed.

If you forget or are unable to provide your keyword, your pharmacist cannot process your prescription or provide other pharmacy activities on your behalf.

If you forget your keyword, your pharmacist can call the PharmaNet Help Desk. The PharmaNet Help Desk will then delete your keyword and permit the pharmacist to access your Patient Record.
You must provide Positive Identification to the pharmacist before he/she can contact the Help Desk on your behalf. If you have security concerns, you may attach a new keyword to your Patient Record after your prescription is filled.

It is important to note that this process may delay your prescription service.

You may change your keyword only once in any 24-hour period.

 

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