Dispensing fee increases to $11
In December 2025, the Ministry of Health announced it would increase the dispensing fee from $10 to $11, which went into effect Jan. 2, 2026.
The Association has advocated for an increase in the foundational dispensing fee for many years, and appreciates the assistance of our members who helped communicate the importance of this with their local MLAs.
“We are pleased that our advocacy efforts have resulted in the government making the decision to redirect the savings from daily dispensing to the dispensing fee,” said BCPhA CEO Geraldine Vance.
“We appreciate the Minister’s and PharmaCare team’s ongoing support for community pharmacy and for bringing about the first dispensing fee increase in 14 years.”
Dar Santos, Tse appointed to Association Board
The new Directors’ terms started on Jan. 1, 2026. They will serve for up to three years, until Dec. 31, 2028.
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Shoppers Drug Mart #2237
Richmond
A pharmacist-owner with over 27 years of pharmacy and community experience. A graduate of the UBC pharmacy class of 2002, Alex Dar Santos is an active pharmacist and pharmacy manager, becoming a pharmacist-owner with Shoppers Drug Mart in 2003. Dar Santos has previously served on the BCPhA Board of Directors (2013–2019) and was the past president from 2018.
Dar Santos recently served on the Board for the College of Pharmacists of BC, where he contributed to the College’s work on legislation and regulations for the COVID-19 pandemic, the toxic-drug crisis, rural pharmacy, expansion of prescription adaptations, expansion of drug administration, and minor ailment prescribing.
Most recently, his College work has focused on the updated Health Professions and Occupations Act. Dar Santos also served on several College committees, including the Pharmacist Prescribing and Minor Ailment Committee. As an active UBC preceptor, he enjoys training the next generation of pharmacists.
Light AI Inc.
Vancouver
John Tse is an accomplished health-care and wellness executive with more than 30 years of leadership across pharmacy, health technology, diagnostics and consumer health. He is currently Vice President, Commercial Development at Light AI Inc., advancing smartphone-based diagnostic and wellness technologies, and founder and CEO of 36Eight Technologies, a bioinformatics and pharmacological health company developing clinical decision-support systems for personalized medicinal cannabinoid care.
John previously served as Vice President of Pharmacy and Cosmetics at London Drugs Ltd., directing its pharmacy and health business and leading national firsts in pharmacy automation, consultation environments and eHealth initiatives.
Over 12 years on the BC Pharmacy Association Board of Directors, John helped negotiate the province’s PharmaCare implementation agreement with the B.C. government and guided policy on funding models and practice standards. He continues to serve on the boards of BioPro Biologics Pharmacy, Clos du Soleil Winery and the Canadian Liver Foundation (BC Chapter).
A licensed pharmacist with an MBA in marketing and business strategy from UBC’s Sauder School of Business, John combines governance, clinical insight and innovation to advance evidence-based care and the profession of pharmacy.
Canada Student Loan Forgiveness Program extended to pharmacists
Pharmacists are now officially included in the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness program, making them eligible for federal student loan forgiveness when they choose to work in designated rural and remote communities.
Effective Dec. 31, 2025, pharmacists are now eligible for the same maximum level of forgiveness permitted as physicians. This recognizes the significant financial investment required to complete a pharmacy degree and the expertise and value pharmacists bring to the health-care system.
“For pharmacists considering practice in rural, remote or underserved communities, student loan forgiveness can be a deciding factor,” said Kylee Power, Chair of the BCPhA.
“Expanding loan forgiveness to include pharmacists will help attract and retain professionals where they are needed most.”
This move, which has been advocated for by CAPSI and CPhA and supported by the BC Pharmacy Association, aims to support recruitment and retention of pharmacists into rural and remote communities.
University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Dean Lalitha Raman-Wilms said the change is a significant recognition of the vital role pharmacists play in Canada’s health-care system.
“This policy change acknowledges both the substantial educational investment required to become a pharmacist and the essential value our graduates bring to patient care in underserved areas,” Raman-Wilms said. “This loan forgiveness initiative will help address a key financial barrier for students — especially those from rural backgrounds — to practise in the communities that need them most, supporting our goals of improving health-care access and equity across the province.”
Prescribed alternatives must be witnessed, pharmacists to receive witness fees
As of Dec. 30, 2025, it became a requirement that all patients with a prescription for prescribed alternatives (PA) must have their dose witnessed by a health-care professional, including pharmacists in pharmacy, with some limited exceptions.
As part of this work, pharmacists are paid a witnessing fee for each eligible dose of a witnessed prescribed alternative medication that ranges from $4 to $10, depending on the type of prescribed alternative, up to a daily maximum, plus a single dispensing fee. Pharmacies will also receive retroactive payments for witnessed doses of PA recorded in PharmaNet on or after June 18, 2025.
“Witnessed dosing is labour-intensive and relies heavily on pharmacist availability, space and workflow flexibility. For pharmacies serving higher-need populations, this has real implications for staffing and service capacity,” said Justin Dovale, Vice-Chair of the BCPhA.
“The introduction of a dedicated PA-witnessing fee is a positive step and a sign that government listened to operational concerns. Recognizing witnessing as a professional service is an important foundation going forward.”