The program is the first of its kind in Canada, and will be expanded in the coming months
Matt Shipley (he/him) // Co-Editor-In-Chief
Talia Rouck // Illustrator
Starting April 1, 2023, dozens of prescription contraceptives will be available free of charge to any B.C. resident with a prescription. Currently, contraceptives must still be prescribed by a medical doctor, but later this spring, pharmacists will be able to prescribe them as well.
The list of available contraceptives include: copper IUDs; hormonal IUDs; oral contraceptives; the morning-after pill; hormone implants and hormone injections.
“There’s something in it for everybody,” said Lisa Seidel, a Squamish K-12 school teacher and member of AccessBC’s social media team. “It’s one of the few things where everyone wins — it opens up more health options for all socioeconomic groups, offers more life control for everyone and more.”
AccessBC is a B.C. advocacy group that has been fighting for legislation of this nature since January 2017. The BC NDP’s 2020 election platform promised to make all prescription contraception free, and though earlier attempts at legislation were struck down, the concerted effort from AccessBC pushed the program through.
The program will cost the Province of British Columbia up to $119 million over a three-year period from 2023 to 2026, while the Province’s estimated yearly savings as a result of the program are forecasted to be $95 million annually.
“Saving money for the Province and the people was an important goal,” said Seidel, “but the neat part is that they’re focused on the equity side of it.” Access to free contraceptives levels the playing field for marginalized and poverty-stricken groups who have historically not been able to afford contraceptive care. Lack of access to contraceptives plays a major role in the perpetuation of the poverty cycle, and AccessBC believes that this is an important step towards equity in B.C.
Another benefit of the program is that it aims to help unburden the B.C. healthcare system, which has been overloaded since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The program offers a proactive approach for improving health outcomes for mothers and infants,” said Seidel. “It does all this by reducing the risks associated with unintended pregnancy, particularly among adolescents.”
“With everything going on in the world right now in terms of reproductive freedom, B.C. can be a beacon of hope in that regard,” said Seidel. B.C. is the first Canadian province to implement a no-cost contraceptive program. Seidel and the AccessBC team hope that B.C. can lead by example, potentially establishing Canada as a global leader in reproductive equity and reproductive freedom.
Later this spring, the program will expand to allow pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives. This will mostly impact rural areas, where access to a doctor can be logistically prohibitive. Pharmacists are much more widely accessible, providing access to care that was previously not offered in many rural towns across B.C.
As of April 1, contraceptives can be prescribed by a doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife at multiple locations, including hospitals, walk-in clinics and street nurse programs. The pharmacist may not charge a fee for any action associated with filling the prescription. The cost of a medical abortion is also fully covered by PharmaCare, given that the patient is a B.C. resident with a B.C. Services Card and a prescription.
Importantly, PharmaCare will not cover the cost of condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms, patches, rings or sponges.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.