New Controlled Substances Regulations in Effect October 1, 2026.
On October 1, 2026, Health Canada’s new Controlled Substances Regulations come into effect, consolidating several existing regulations and exemptions under a single federal framework for regulating controlled substances.
The new Controlled Substances Regulations replace the Narcotic Control Regulations, the Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations (BOTSR), and Parts G and J of the Food and Drug Regulations.
The new regulations were published in December 2025 following Health Canada’s 2024 public consultations. To read the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement, refer to the Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 26.
Since March 2020, BC pharmacy professionals have practised under Health Canada’s subsection 56 (1) exemptions from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which introduced a number of temporary authorizations to support continuity of care to clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These authorizations will now be permanently established in the Controlled Substances Regulation, once the temporary exemption expires on September 30, 2026, which means that many pharmacy professionals in BC won’t notice a significant change to the way they practice.
Summary of Key Changes for pharmacy professionals in BC
Not all aspects of the Controlled Substances Regulations apply to BC pharmacy professionals. While the Controlled Substances Regulations are federal, professional practice is provincially bound, and stricter provincial limits supersede broader federal permissions.
The changes summarized below reflect these stricter provincial limits, as set out in the Health Professions and Occupations Act Bylaws and the Pharmacy Operations and Drug Scheduling Act Bylaws.
Effective October 1, 2026, pharmacists in BC will be able to:
- Accept verbal prescriptions for controlled substances directly from a practitioner
- Transfer prescriptions for controlled substances, including narcotics, controlled drugs, and targeted substances, to another pharmacist or pharmacy technician in Canada within two years of the date on which the prescription was written or authorized.
- Extend or renew prescriptions for controlled substances solely for the purposes of continuity of care within two years of the date of receipt and for a duration not exceeding the originally prescribed amount or 30 days, whichever is greater.
- Adapt a prescription for a controlled substance by changing the dose, formulation or regimen only if the prescribed strength is commercially unavailable or if the information provided is incomplete or ambiguous. When adapting prescriptions, the total quantity dispensed must not exceed the stated amount authorized in the original prescription.
Therapeutic drug substitutions for prescriptions of controlled substances remain prohibited in BC.
- Deliver, send, or transport controlled substances, in accordance with Health Professions and Occupations Act Bylaws Schedule E.14 – Practice Standards: Controlled Drug Substances Delivery.
Effective October 1, 2026, pharmacy technicians in BC will be able to:
- Accept verbal prescriptions for controlled substances directly from a practitioner
- Transfer and receive prescriptions for controlled substances to/from another pharmacist or pharmacy technician in Canada within two years of the date on which the prescription was written or authorized
- Physically receive and process shipments of controlled substances, provided that the required records related to their purchase and receipt are signed by a full pharmacist.
- If delegated by a full pharmacist, deliver, send, or transport controlled substances in situations where clinical assessment or witnessed ingestion is not required, and in accordance with Health Professions and Occupations Act Bylaws Schedule E.14 – Practice Standards: Controlled Drug Substances Delivery.
- Carry out the physical on-site destruction of unserviceable controlled substances with one qualified health professional witness or serve as a witness during destruction.
Prior approval by Health Canada is no longer required for the destruction of controlled substances.
Effective October 1, 2026, pharmacies, including central fill pharmacies, in BC will be able to:
- Provide controlled substances to another pharmacist or pharmacy for the purpose of fulfilling a prescription received at the other pharmacy. Previously, this was only permitted in emergency situations.
For questions about the Controlled Substances Regulations reach out to the Office of Controlled Substances at: [email protected] or 613-952-2177.
Frequently Asked Questions
Information sessions from Health CanadaHealth Canada’s Controlled Substances Program will be providing information sessions on the relevant changes that impact those working in community pharmacies, specifically pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy managers. You can register for a session by using the links below. Note that these information sessions are focused specifically on community pharmacy settings and will not address hospital or other specialized pharmacy settings. Please register for one session only. English sessions (Pacific time):
French sessions (Pacific time): |