New recommendations to improve the province’s Special Authority (SA) process are estimated to save BC physicians 76,000 hours of burdensome administrative work annually and reduce the number of SA applications by 18%.
Streamlining the Special Authority process
SA provides patients in specific medical circumstances with full or partial PharmaCare coverage for certain medications or devices that would otherwise not be covered or would be covered only partially.
The recommendations cover four key areas and aim to streamline medication approval processes while ensuring safe, appropriate access to publicly funded medications.
- Simplifying and reducing coverage renewal requirements
- Improving digital integration to reduce transcription
- Establishing a standardized process to reassess drug coverage as evidence and clinical best practices evolve
- Strengthening support for prescribers
“Reducing administrative burdens for BC physicians is essential to improving our health care system. It gives physicians more time to focus on what matters most—caring for their patients—while helping patients receive more timely care. That’s why Doctors of BC is working with the government and health authorities through the Administrative Burdens Working Group to address priorities identified by physicians and drive meaningful change for physicians and patients alike.” – Dr Adam Thompson
To learn more about the recommendations, visit our Administrative Burdens webpage.
Next steps for implementation
Several changes aligned with these recommendations on reassessing drug coverage, including renewal frequency, have already been implemented. Several medications identified by physicians as high priority for reconsideration no longer require SA. To stay informed about medications, physicians can find updates to the PharmaCare formulary through the PharmaCare newsletter.
The Ministry of Health is reviewing how best to implement the recommendations, with a focus on digital integration and enhanced support for prescribers. The ABWG will continue working with physician representatives and the SA team to identify opportunities to further reduce administrative burdens across the health care system while maintaining appropriate oversight of publicly funded medications.
Advocacy in action: Administrative Burdens Working Group
The recommendations were developed by the Administrative Burdens Working Group (ABWG), which includes physician representatives and staff from Doctors of BC, the Ministry of Health, Health Authorities, and Health Quality BC (HQBC). Improving the SA process is one of several areas of focus for the ABWG, along with processes related to both BC Cancer and medical imaging in the Lower Mainland.
If you have any questions about the recommendations or about Doctors of BC’s work on administrative burdens, please contact us.
