Ministry of Health

A provincial ministry of the BC Public Service that ensures quality, appropriate, cost effective and timely health services are available for all British Columbians. Works with six health authorities, care providers, community agencies, and other groups to provide access to care.

Programs offered

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Ministry of Health
Provides information to help individuals make end-of-life, emergency, and critical health care decisions. Enables a capable adult to make plans in advance of a time when they may be incapable of making health care decisions for themselves.

Offers an Advance Care Planning Guide, available for download or ordering, as well as online resources, videos and brochures. The planning guide is available in multiple languages; see website.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Offers online information and resources to help parents and caregivers have conversations about alcohol with their children and teens to help guide them towards healthy decisions when it comes to alcohol.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides easy to understand, practical, evidence-based information to help new parents from pregnancy, through birth, and in the parenting of a baby up to six months of age.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides provincial air quality advisories, resources, management, and reporting to help improve air quality and reduce negative health impacts.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Supports individuals of any age who have reached the end stage of a life-threatening disease or illness and who wish to receive palliative care at home, or wherever the person is living, including with family or friends, in a supportive or assisted living residence, or in a hospice unit at a residential care facility.

Eligible patients receive coverage of eligible costs for medications used in palliative care through the PharmaCare BC Palliative Care Drug Plan, and medical supplies and equipment through the local health authority.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides useful information to assist in obtaining, replacing, and updating a BC Services Card. The BC Services Card can be used to access health services, as well as to identify oneself anywhere that currently accepts government-issued ID.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Helps eligible BC residents stop smoking or using other tobacco products, by covering the cost of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products or some of the cost of specific smoking cessation prescription drugs.

Prescription smoking cessation drugs are covered as benefits under PharmaCare. Non-prescription nicotine replacement therapy products are provided at no cost.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides a passport-sized booklet for parents to use to record important health information about their child, including height and weight, illnesses, accidents, allergies, hospitalizations, and immunizations. Also provides safety tips and a space to record findings for hearing, dental and vision checks.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides COVID-19 vaccine information including vaccine registration and bookings, immunization records, testing and treatments, and guidance for wearing a mask, travel and businesses.

COVID-19 and influenza vaccines are free and available at pharmacies, health authority clinics and some primary care providers' offices.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides guidance to individuals at the end of their lives, families, and health care providers on how to have an expected or planned natural home death. See the website for forms and information, how to arrange for care, and expected or planned home death questions and answers.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides an online catalogue of health publications and reports including online health information, resources, health guides, ministry of health reports and publications.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Offers single-session telephone and chat-based counselling to all students currently registered in a BC post-secondary school. The service is available 24-hours through an app, phone and chat.

The program can help with concerns such as stress, feelings of isolation or loneliness, anxiety, frustration, the balance between personal and academic priorities, adapting to new campus culture or city, time-management, and tension with family, friends or instructors.
Virtual
Ministry of Health

Provides access to one-time funding for eligible BC residents who require in vitro fertilization (IVF) as part of their path to parenthood. The program covers a single standard cycle of IVF treatment at participating BC fertility clinics.

Virtual
Ministry of Health

Provides influenza vaccine information including vaccine registration and bookings, enhanced vaccines available for seniors, and options to get the flu vaccine for your child. Everyone 6 months and over can get a flu vaccine.

Virtual
Ministry of Health

Provides wrap-around mental health and substance use services to children and youth. Multi-disciplinary teams may include program leaders, clinicians, counsellors, peer supports, Indigenous supports, or multicultural supports.

Teams provide services where children and youth feel safe and comfortable, within school district areas. They will deliver outreach or outbound services as well as meet in office settings. See website for regional contacts to access services.

Mobile
Ministry of Health
Provides an online list of hotel accommodation for patients and their families who are required to travel to out of town locations for specialist and outpatient medical services.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides information and referral to seniors and their families, or other concerned individuals in their lives, about seniors' services including health care, housing, personal care, income support, transportation, and family caregiver support.

Seniors who have issues accessing health care services or with the health care they received, can call to receive advice for timely resolution of problems, or report concerns about their care.
Virtual
Ministry of Health

Provides confidential and same-day access to opioid agonist treatment medication for people throughout BC with opioid use disorder to prevent withdrawals, reduce cravings and the risk of overdoses.

People can call the access line to speak with a doctor or nurse over the phone who can prescribe the medication and offer connections to supports in the community.

Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides information on the process to file a formal complaint about the quality of any health care service that a patient, client or resident received, or expected but did not receive, from a health authority. Contact the Patient Care Quality office in your region for assistance.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides an online listing of health-related supports, educational activities, and events that are available provincially and in local communities. The program supports and encourages patients, families and caregivers to participate in their own health care, decision-making about that care, and choosing their level of participation.

The program is provided in partnership with non-governmental organizations, funded partners, regional health authorities, and a variety of health-care providers.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides online information on booking an appointment with a pharmacist for minor ailments or contraception at pharmacy locations throughout BC.

See the website for a self-assessment checklist to check your symptoms and a list of minor ailments or types of free contraceptives that individuals can see a pharmacist to get an assessment and prescription.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides online information for seniors, families and caregivers about government programs, services, support and benefits for older adults in BC. Topic areas include provincial and federal government programs for older adults, healthy aging, home and community care, fall prevention, health and safety, transportation, and housing.

Resources include downloadable versions of the BC Seniors' Guide, BC Elders' Guide, Healthy Eating for Seniors handbook, Elder Abuse Prevention information kits, and My Voice advance care planning guide and workbook.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides information about wait times for elective surgical procedures for children and adults patients in BC. Wait times are approximate and are calculated on the basis of the previous three months of completed cases.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides parents and caregivers of children between the ages of six months and three years of age with child health and wellness information and the most up-to-date parenting tips. Information includes child development, healthy eating, child health and wellbeing, parenting, and toddler safety.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides assistance with some of the transportation costs for eligible BC residents who must travel within the province for non-emergency, physician-referred specialist medical care not available in their own community.

The program is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and the transportation partners who agree to waive or discount their regular fees. The program does not provide direct financial assistance to patients for travel costs.
Virtual
Ministry of Health
Provides information on vital statistics related products and services including birth and adoptions, marriages, death and bereavement, legal change of name, separation and divorce, genealogy, and ordering of certificates and copies.
Virtual