B.C. physicians can now prescribe Parks Canada Discovery Pass to encourage people to get outside

A visit to the doctor's office can now result in a prescription for a Parks Canada Discovery Pass, to encourage British Columbians to spend more time in nature.

It's part of a program launched just over a year ago in partnership with the BC Parks Foundation, which saw local physicians prescribing time outdoors to improve overall health.

But now, physicians across B.C. and several other provinces are able to prescribe the year-long pass, which covers admission to more than 80 parks across Canada.

Family physician and director of the parks program Dr. Melissa Lem joined CTV Morning Live Tuesday to discuss this "unprecedented" prescription.

"It's the first time in Canada that a doctor or a nurse or licensed health-care professional can actually prescribe nature with something extra to their patients," said Lem.

Lem said if a doctor registered to prescribe through the PaRx program believes a patient could benefit from a dose of a nature, they just have to click a box on the parks prescription website when they're logging the patient's nature prescription.

The BC Parks Foundation will then mail the patient a free Parks Canada Discovery Pass, which would typically cost $72.25 for an adult. Admission is already free for youth 17 and under.

Lem said it's important that the passes get to the patients who need them the most and can use them the most.

"We're asking prescribers to prioritize people where the cost of the pass might be a barrier to accessing nature, and also people who live close to those national parks."

She added that prescribing nature itself even without the pass is a powerful intervention.

"Research shows that when your doctor writes something down, that increases your motivation that you'll do it," said Lem.

Lem said there's also a lot of research showing that spending time outdoors can improve all kinds of different health conditions, from diabetes and high blood pressure to cancer care, anxiety and depression.

"Nature prescriptions really do have the potential to revolutionize how we think about the role of outdoor spaces in our health," said Lem.

"We want nature to become one of the four pillars of health, just as important as diet, sleep and exercise for preventing disease and promoting wellbeing."

The Parks Canada Discovery Pass can also be prescribed by physicians in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

"We're working on launching across the country over the next year," said Lem. "So pretty soon anyone across Canada will be able to benefit from this program and get a free pass."

Lem told CTV News health-care professionals who are registered with the PaRx program have the ability to independently prescribe passes to patients during regular visits. Those who are interested in registering with the PaRx program can find more information online.