You can now easily find which over-the-counter (OTC) medications are fully covered by First Nations Health Benefits Plan Wellness (Plan W). The searchable and sortable list of OTC medications is available online.
How to access OTC medications covered by Plan W
There are two ways to get a covered medication from the Plan W OTC list:
- A prescription from a doctor or nurse practitioner, or
- A recommendation from a pharmacist
Note: Self-selected OTC items are not eligible for coverage through Plan W.
Getting a prescription from a doctor or nurse practitioner
Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about your health conditions and potential treatments with OTC medications. They may write you a prescription for an OTC medication covered by Plan W and you can fill the prescription at your local pharmacy.
Getting a recommendation from a pharmacist (no prescription required)
Talk to your pharmacist about your health conditions and potential treatments with OTC medications. They will assess whether an appropriate, safe and effective OTC therapy can treat your specific condition.
If the pharmacist recommends a Plan W OTC treatment for you, they will complete the OTC Recommendation Form. Pharmacists use this form to meet documentation and care requirements. The pharmacist will ask you to sign the recommendation form to confirm they are dispensing you an OTC medication and have provided the information you need for your wellness.
As with all medications, it's important to ask the pharmacist about what to expect from the treatment and when to follow-up with the pharmacist or another health care provider.
Sometimes a pharmacist will not be able to recommend an OTC medication covered by Plan W. This could be because the side effects of an OTC item may outweigh the potential benefits, your symptoms may require longer-term treatment or a prescription or non-pharmaceutical treatment would serve as a better option. In these situations, the pharmacist can discuss the options available to you and may refer you to your prescriber or a hospital for further assessment.
If you have questions about coverage for medications, please call First Nations Health Benefits toll-free at 1-855-550-5454.
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