BC Wildfires – Accessing Medications and Providing Continuity of Care

BC Wildfires – Accessing Medications and Providing Continuity of Care 

On August 8, 2026, the Province of British Columbia declared a provincial state of emergency in response to more than 100 regional wildfires currently burning across the province. Evacuation orders and alerts have been issued in areas across the province, with more than 21,000 people currently displaced from their homes and thousands more on evacuation alert.  

Wildfires and evacuations can disrupt access to medications, pharmacies and medical records. The information below may help clients, pharmacies, and pharmacy professionals maintain continuity of care during an emergency.

FOR CLIENTS: Accessing Medications

If you have been displaced by an evacuation, you can visit a pharmacy near you to access an emergency supply of medications you may need. CPBC’s Find a Pharmacy tool can help you locate a pharmacy in the community where you are staying.

Medical records may be difficult to access during a disaster or state of emergency. PharmaNet supports continuity of care by allowing a pharmacist to review a client’s prescriptions and medication history, regardless of the pharmacy the client typically uses.

Pharmacy professionals and clients can also contact the First Nations Health Authority at 1-855-550-5454 for benefits information and to verify patient identification information.

• To learn more about how to prepare for an emergency, visit PreparedBC.

FOR PHARMACY PROFESSIONALS: Providing Continuity of Care for Clients

Health Professions and Occupations Act Bylaws Schedule E.10 – Practice Standards: Miscellaneous Dispensing sets out what’s expected of pharmacists when providing clients with an emergency supply of prescription drugs for continuity of care in exceptional circumstances in accordance with the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws section 19(7)(d).

The standards support pharmacists in using their professional judgment when making decisions in the client’s best interest, including providing an adequate supply that accounts for the fact that evacuation and displacement may take time to resolve. As always, Pharmacists should ensure their decisions are appropriately documented, including the rationale for the emergency supply.

• See information from PharmaCare on Patient care during states of emergency and evacuations

FOR PHARMACIES: Temporary Pharmacy Closure

If a wildfire or evacuation makes your pharmacy temporarily inaccessible, pharmacy owners and managers should follow the requirements for an unanticipated temporary closure under section 18.1(b) of the PODSA Bylaws.

Questions?

For questions related to providing continuity of care for clients during a state of emergency, contact the College’s practice support at [email protected].

We recognize that this is a challenging time, and we hope you and your loved ones stay safe. Thank you to the pharmacy teams across the province for supporting clients during this stressful and difficult time.