How to Obtain HIV Medication through the Drug Treatment Program

In British Columbia, antiretroviral medications and other drugs for management of HIV/AIDS are provided at no cost to medically eligible patients through the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) Drug Treatment Program. Please use the links below to learn about eligibility, enrolment in the Drug Treatment Program, and how these medications may be obtained:

• How to Complete the Form
• How to Submit the Form

Eligibility

Persons meeting the following criteria are eligible for enrolment in the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program:

• Documented HIV infection and clinically meets the current criteria for treatment with antiretroviral medication (as specified in the BC-CfE Therapeutic Guidelines)

AND

• BC resident with Medical Services Plan (MSP) coverage (active BC Personal Health Number) or Interim Federal Health coverage (refugee status) or active medical plan coverage from another Canadian Province, while awaiting active MSP coverage.

For further information about eligibility and obtaining HIV medications, contact the BC-CfE Outreach Pharmacy Coordinator at 604-806-9096.

Initial Enrollment

Patients are enrolled in the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program at the time of their first prescription.

HIV/AIDS Drug Request Prescription Form

The HIV/AIDS Drug Request Prescription Form (PDF) may be downloaded from this website. Paper copies of the form may be requested from the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program. Information about how to complete the prescription form can be found in the next section.

How to Complete the Prescription Form

I. PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN INFORMATION

Patient information: Provide complete patient demographic and contact information as specified on the form.

Prescription Pick-up site: Specify the location where the patient will pick up his or her HIV medication. See the list of authorized prescription pick-up sites, below.

Physician information: The "enrolling physician" is the physician completing the prescription form. The “follow-up physician” (if different from the enrolling physician) is the physician or Nurse Practitioner (NP) who will provide ongoing care and monitoring and authorize prescription refills. Prescription refill forms and other documents will be sent to the enrolling physician unless a follow-up physician is specified.

II. LABORATORY DATA

HIV serology date is required at enrolment. Current CD4 count and plasma viral load (pVL) results are required with each new prescription request to ensure antiretroviral efficacy.

III. OTHER MEDICAL INFORMATION

To ensure patient safety, please document medication allergies, medical conditions, or potentially interacting medications which could influence the choice or dosage regimen of antiretroviral medication.

IV. MEDICATION REGIMEN

Continuing medications from outside BC: Check "yes" if the patient has ever been treated with antiretroviral medications (including study medications) prior to enrolment in the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program, even if the patient is not presently receiving treatment.

New or continuing medications: Please write the entire antiretroviral medication regimen (both new and continuing drugs) with medication dose and dosage frequency.

Medications to be discontinued: List all medications to be discontinued, if applicable.

Reason for medication regimen change: This information helps the BC-CfE authorizing physician ensure that the requested regimen is safe and appropriate for the patient, and contributes to drug safety monitoring.

How to Submit the Completed Prescription Form

Fax or mail the prescription form to the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program office. The address is printed on the top of the form.

By Fax: 604-806-9044

Telephone: 604-806-8515

Re-Enrolment

If the patient is off medication for more than six months or moves out of BC, re-enrolment is required by submission of a completed HIV/AIDS Drug Request Prescription Form (PDF).

HIV Medication: Prescription Approval

Once the prescription for HIV medication is received at the Drug Treatment Program office, a BC-CfE- affiliated physician will review the prescription to ensure that the medication regimen is compatible with current Treatment Guidelines. The prescribing physician will be contacted if clarification is required. This review usually takes one or two business days.

The enrolling or designated follow-up physician will receive an approval letter documenting the status of the prescription.

HIV Medication: Prescription Dispensing

Following approval, the prescribed medication can be picked up at the site requested on the form. Ensure that the patient knows where to go to pick up the medication. Hours of operation and pick-up procedures vary between sites; some locations require an appointment for medication pick-up so that medication support and education can be provided. Contact the site for details, see below.

Authorized Prescription Pick-up Sites:

HIV Medication: Prescription Refills

In order to support continuity of care, the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program will mail pre-printed antiretroviral prescription refill forms to the follow-up physician or Nurse Practitioner (NP) specified on the original prescription. These prescription refill forms are provided for prescriber convenience; any legal prescription format may be used to order refills of antiretroviral medications. Signed, dated refill prescriptions can reach the designated dispensing pharmacy in one of the following ways:

By mail or fax:

If the medication is dispensed at the following locations, please mail or fax the prescription directly to the pharmacy:

• Royal Jubilee Prescriptions
• Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
• Lakeside Medicine Centre
• BC Children's Hospital - Attention: Oaktree Pharmacist
• Downtown Clinic Pharmacy

For all other prescription pick-up sites, including St Paul's Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy, mail or fax the prescription refill form back to the BC-CfE HIV Drug Treatment Program (see "How to Submit Completed Request Form"). The address is printed on the top of the form.

OR

• Give the prescription directly to the patient to present to the designated pharmacy.

HIV Medication: Regimen Changes

Requests for a change in medication regimen (discontinuation and/ or addition of medication) require submission of an HIV/AIDS Drug Request Prescription Form (PDF) for regimen review and approval.