Prehapes, yes. I think for the purposes of higher end universities they are treated roughly as such. As a random example: Nursing @ Birmingham Entry via A-Levels: BBB Entry via BTEC: DDM
The tariff points are based on education experts assessing a qualification for depth, breadth and size. They understand the differences between A levels and btecs better that you do.
The higher coursework load in btecs is now often better preparation for most degrees than exam based A levels.