9.5 Patient Records
Last updated on April 23, 2024General Policy Description
Patient information is stored on PharmaNet, the province-wide network that links all B.C. pharmacies to a central data system since 1995. PharmaNet is administered by the Ministry of Health. Prescriptions dispensed in B.C. are entered into PharmaNet.
Policy Details
Patient data stored on PharmaNet
When a prescription is dispensed, the following patient information is recorded:
- Name and address
- Date of birth
- Personal Health Number (PHN)
- Adverse drug reactions
- Drug allergies
- Any clinical conditions the patient may have
- Details of all prescription medications, including veterinary medications dispensed in a community pharmacy to an individual’s pet(s)
Up to the last 14 months of patient medication history is available online from PharmaNet.
Patient record access
The details of patient’s prescriptions stored on PharmaNet are available to approved users granted access by the Ministry of Health for clinical purposes, unless a patient protective word has been assigned restricting access.
For more information on access to patient records, refer to Section 9.3—Access to Patient Information.
A patient may choose to restrict access to their medication history by assigning a protective word to limit access to their records.
For further information, refer to Section 9.6—Protective words.
Health regulatory bodies may have access to data from PharmaNet, in order to monitor and regulate their respective professions.
For more information, refer to Section 9.3—Access to Patient Information.
Patient requests to view their own data
A patient may request a printed copy of their confidential and personal data (either the data stored on the local system, the data stored on PharmaNet, or both). A patient may make the request through any community pharmacy. If the patient wants a PharmaNet record earlier than the last 14 months, or for a specific date range, they must contact the PharmaNet Profile Services Team directly.
The PharmaNet Profiles Services Team is available at:
Email: PharmaNetProfiles@gov.bc.ca
Phone toll-free: 1-855-952-1432
Fax: 250-953-0432
Mail: PO Box 9652 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC, V8W9P4
Although the local system record may be printed at the community pharmacy, the PharmaNet patient record may not be printed.
Requests for PharmaNet data may be sent via PharmaNet to the Ministry of Health using the Patient Access to Personal Data function (TPM transaction). The Ministry of Health then mails the information directly to the patient.
The Ministry of Health requires pharmacists/medical practices to validate the patient’s address and PHN on PharmaNet (TID transaction) and update the address (TPA transaction), if necessary, before requesting a mailing.
Patients who want a printed record of PharmaNet data earlier than the last 14 months, or for a specific date range, must make the request directly to the PharmaNet Profile Services Team at 1-855-952-1432. The Services Team mails the profile to the patient’s pharmacy to verify the patient’s identity before its release. Both the pharmacist and patient must then sign a release form, to be faxed back to the Ministry of Health for confirmation.
The PharmaNet information sent to a patient includes:
- Patient demographic and clinical information
- Patient adverse drug reaction information
- Patient medication history for the specified date range, including veterinarian medications dispensed in community pharmacy (as far back as 1995)
- A log of all persons who have accessed the patient’s information, including when no medication was dispensed
The medication history normally includes only medications from community and hospital out-patient pharmacies.
Refer also to Section 9.3—Access to Patient Information.
Procedures for Pharmacists and Medical Practices
Any B.C. resident may request a printed copy of their confidential and personal data, whether it be for information stored on a pharmacy's local system or the data stored on PharmaNet.
The local patient record may be printed at the pharmacy.
Patients can request a copy of their current PharmaNet patient record (up to the last 14 months) through their community pharmacy at no charge.
To process a patient's request for their PharmaNet record from the last 14 months:
- Positively identify the patient.
>>Refer to Section 9.1—Positive Identification of Patients for more details - Validate the patient’s address and PHN on PharmaNet (TID transaction) and update the address (TPA transaction), if necessary, before requesting a mailing.
Validation of a patient’s identification and address is mandated by the College of Pharmacists of BC to protect patient privacy and ensure the profile is mailed to the correct address. - Send the request via PharmaNet using the Patient Access to Personal Data function (TPM).
Depending on your pharmacy software, this function may be labelled in the menu as “Request Profile Mailing.” Please contact your software vendor if you need assistance with the procedure.
The request is automatically forwarded to the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health will mail the information directly to the patient.
Patients can also request their record from earlier than 14 months, directly from the PharmaNet Profile Services Team.
To process a patient’s request for their PharmaNet record earlier than the last 14 months:
- Advise the patient to call the PharmaNet Profile Services Team directly at 1-855-952-1432. This is for data earlier than the last 14 months or a specific date range
- When the printed record arrives at the pharmacy, positively identify the patient.
>> Refer to Section 9.1—Positive Identification of Patients for more details - Both you and the patient must sign the release form, then fax it back to the Ministry of Health to confirm the records have been provided to the patient.
For patients who would like to view their record online, they can access it through Health Gateway, providing they are a BC resident who has activated the BC Services Card app.
Tools and Resources
- CPBC: PharmaNet Patient Record