Reducing burdens: Doctors of BC works with LifeLabs to extend Standing Order Policy to two years

As a result of collaborative work between Doctors of BC, the Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Provincial Standing Order Policy for patient lab requisitions was updated earlier this year. To implement this update throughout BC, LifeLabs has stated that it will revise its Standing Order Policy effective August 4, 2025. 

From that date, all BC LifeLabs facilities will update their standing order expiry periods from a maximum of one year to a maximum of two years, in line with provincial policy. This change will benefit both physicians and patients who need regular lab tests for chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney issues, HIV, and others. It will also enable physicians to have more clinical time for patient care and save each physician at least 30-40 hours of administrative work each year. 

What physicians need to know

Any current standing orders will remain active in LifeLabs’ lab information system (LIS) until the expiry date indicated on the patient’s Standing Order Card—LifeLabs cannot extend any current standing orders in the LIS. The expiry date is also noted on all results reports each time the patient visits the lab for a standing order collection.

Once the expiry date on the patient’s current standing order passes, physicians should give them a new standing order requisition to renew the order for up to a maximum of two years. 

How Doctors of BC works to reduce administrative burdens

Doctors of BC is committed to reducing the administrative burdens physicians face daily. One approach is through the Administrative Burdens Working Group, created under the 2022 Physician Master Agreement (PMA), to target specific burdens. This builds on the detailed policy paper created in 2022. Doctors of BC also regularly seeks ad hoc opportunities to make positive changes in this area for doctors and their patients—the change to the Provincial Standing Order Policy was one such opportunity. 

The previous policy had led to increased paperwork for physicians, who often had to submit multiple orders for the same patient each year. After physicians shared their concerns, Doctors of BC worked with the Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), resulting in the change. 

Questions?

If you have any questions about Standing Orders at LifeLabs, please call them at +1 800-431-7206. If you encounter any further challenges, please reach out to Doctors of BC using our contact form—please select Advocacy, Negotiations, and Policy from the dropdown menu.