Laboratory services for health professionals

The Ministry of Health’s Laboratory Services Teams lead the strategic direction, priorities, and plans for overseeing, administering, and delivering laboratory services.

Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS) within the Provincial Health Services Authority works with many partners to ensure the laboratory system adopts the latest technology, guidelines, and techniques and meets the needs of people living in B.C. PLMS is accountable for various functions related to administering lab services and implementing policies and processes on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

The legislative authority for B.C. laboratory services are:

• Laboratory Services Act (LSA)
• Laboratory Services Regulation (LSR)

For practitioner resources and information, including fee schedules, BC Guidelines, MSP schedules, and laboratory requisitions, visit:

• Guidelines and Protocols
• PLMS Forms and Test Information
• Laboratory Administration

For general information about laboratory services in B.C. and the various teams within the Ministry of Health’s Laboratory Services Branch, visit Laboratory Services.

B.C. residents can view test results in Health Gateway. Health professionals are encouraged to let B.C. residents know about Health Gateway, using these resources to help raise awareness.

Laboratory System Policy Updates

Lab test referrals

Effective August 30, 2024, pharmacists will be recognized as referring practitioners in the Laboratory Services Regulation under the Laboratory Services Act, allowing them to order certain laboratory tests for medication management. Learn more at Pharmacist lab test referrals.

HPV testing

Since January 2024, as part of B.C.’s 10-year Cancer Care Action Plan, women and individuals ages 25 to 69 with a cervix can choose to order a kit to self-screen for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, or have their screening sampled collected by a health-care provider.

• Learn more about HPV testing in B.C.
• Learn about B.C.’s Cancer Care Action Plan

Provincial standing order policy

The provincial standing order policy defines requirements and guidelines for referring practitioners. A standing order is the requisition form in which a referring practitioner has indicated the time-period and frequency for the provision of specified Laboratory Services. Under new guidelines, all standing orders received after January 1, 2024, expire after 12 months, while standing orders that were received before January 1, 2024, would be processed as requested.

• Learn more at Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services Requisitions