PMPRB NEWSletter: June 2025, Volume 29, Issue 1
June 2025, Volume 29, Issue 1
The PMPRB NEWSletter provides stakeholders with news and information about the activities of the Board and its staff. To be notified of new announcements, publications, and other initiatives, please follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Board Updates
Departure of Thomas Digby
Mr. Thomas Digby stepped down as Chairperson of the PMPRB on March 6, 2025, to pursue new opportunities. Since his departure, Ms. Anie Perrault, Vice-Chairperson, has assumed the role of Acting Chairperson until a successor is appointed by the Governor in Council.
The PMPRB would like to thank Mr. Digby for his leadership during this transition period and looks forward to continuing its work under Ms. Perrault's interim leadership.
Message from the Acting Chairperson
Since my appointment as Acting Chairperson on March 6, 2025, I’ve made it a priority to meet with many of our valued stakeholders and partners. This experience has been enriching and rewarding, and I look forward to continuing these conversations in the weeks and months ahead. Respect, openness, and transparency are values I hold dear, and I am committed to maintaining an open dialogue with all stakeholders well beyond these early conversations. Fostering productive relationships and dialogues will be a priority throughout my time in this role.
I was already familiar with the incredibly skilled team at the PMPRB; however, I have had the opportunity to work more closely with its members over the past few weeks, especially during my recent visits to the Ottawa office. Although I am based in Montreal, I plan to work regularly from the PMPRB office in Ottawa to stay in close contact with PMPRB staff and stakeholders, and, of course, to lead our Board meetings.
The Board members and I have been working diligently over the past few weeks to finalize the Guidelines and incorporate some of your insightful feedback received during the most recent—and final—round of consultations, which included 54 written submissions. We will publish the final Guidelines this summer as planned, so please stay tuned for more updates very soon. Following their release, staff will host in-person seminars, and I look forward to participating in a handful of conferences that will allow me to personally explain the new processes and expectations.
While much of our recent attention has understandably been on the Guidelines, I want to assure you that we are equally focused on shaping the future of the PMPRB. The publication of the Guidelines marks not an end, but an important milestone in our ongoing journey to better serve Canadians. We have already started reviewing our hearing procedures and processes to identify opportunities for improvement, and have also started developing a Strategic Plan that will guide the PMPRB over the next five years. I look forward to sharing more details with you once the plan is finalized.
My colleagues and I are excited for what lies ahead and we are committed to reaching new milestones.
NPDUIS Research Initiative Activities
The PMPRB continues to engage with and support Canadians through the NPDUIS research initiative. In addition to publishing a number of analytical studies, as detailed below, the PMPRB has hosted information sessions to share the results of its recent reporting.
NPDUIS Advisory Committee Meeting
The NPDUIS Advisory Committee reconvened virtually in October 2024 and March 2025 for quarterly meetings led by PMPRB and Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) representatives. The NPDUIS Advisory Committee advises and supports the PMPRB in establishing research priorities, in the development of research methodologies, and the interpretation of analytical results. It is composed of public drug plan representatives, including Quebec and participants from Health Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA) and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) Office.
Conference Participation
In the fall of 2024, the PMPRB presented the findings of analytical studies at the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT) 2024 conference in Toronto, ON (October 21-22, 2024).
In the spring of 2025, PMPRB analysts have also been presented analyses at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 2025 conference in Montreal, QC (May 13–15, 2025) and at the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2025 conference in Ottawa, ON (May 26–29, 2025).
NPDUIS Research Initiative: New and Upcoming Publications
New Releases
Reports
Private Drug Plans in Canada: Expenditure Report, 2018–2023
The PMPRB’s Private Drug Plans in Canada series monitors and analyzes the cost pressures driving changes in prescription drug expenditures in Canadian private drug plans. This edition of Private Drug Plans in Canada: Expenditure Report provides insight into the factors driving growth in prescription drug costs in 2023, as well as a retrospective review of trends in private drug plan costs and utilization since 2018.
The Meds Pipeline Monitor (MPM) is a horizon-scanning report series that features a selection of new medicines in the late stages of clinical evaluation that may have a significant impact on future clinical practice and drug spending in Canada. The 2023 edition identifies a broad range of late-stage medicines in the pipeline in 2023 and review those featured in the 2022 MPM to report on changes to their status in the pipeline. A section focused on Canada highlights potentially significant medicines under review by Health Canada.
Research Briefs
The following research briefs, summarizing projects presented by PMPRB staff at various conferences and symposia, are now available:
Do higher prices provide protection against drug shortages? Real-world evidence lessons from Canada
Competition in generic drug markets: international progress and room for improvement, 2010-2021
Coming Soon
Reports
Meds Entry Watch, 9th Edition – June 2025
The Meds Entry Watch report series explores the market entry of new medicines in Canada and within an international context. Building on a retrospective analysis of trends since 2018, the ninth edition will focus on medicines that received first-time market approval through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and/or Health Canada in 2022 and 2023 and analyze their uptake, pricing, sales, and availability as of the last quarter of 2023. In addition to the international analysis, a Canadian-focused section will provide information on medicines that received their first Health Canada approval in 2022, as well as a retrospective review of approvals from 2019 to 2023.
CompassRx, 10th Edition: Annual Public Drug Plan Expenditure Report, 2022/23
The PMPRB’s flagship CompassRx report monitors and analyzes the cost pressures driving changes in prescription drug expenditures in Canadian public drug plans. The tenth edition of the report will provide insight into the factors driving growth in drug and dispensing costs in 2022/23, as well as a retrospective review of recent trends in public drug plan costs and utilization.
Board Meetings
Various Virtual Stakeholder Meetings - September 23 to November 1, 2024
The Board members engaged in four meetings with stakeholders in the fall of 2024 to learn more about their feedback on the Discussion Guide.
Virtual Board Meeting - September 27, 2024
The Board met virtually on September 27, 2024. Staff provided an analysis of the submissions received by interested parties. The analysis included the numbers of submissions by groups of interested parties, positions of the different groups and which topics received more responses.
The Board discussed decision points for the Draft Guidelines, for consideration by the public during the final phase of consultations.
Virtual Board Meetings - October 7 and 17, & November 1 and 6, 2024
The Board members met virtually on numerous occasions during October and November of 2024. They continued to discuss decision points for the Draft Guidelines based on feedback received from the Discussion Guide. Topics discussed include the scientific review process, the Human Drug Advisory Panel, complaint-based reviews, the appendix to the Guidelines, list prices, re-triggering after closure, and definitions.Board Member Meeting in Ottawa - November 19-20, 2024
The Board members met in person on November 19 and 20, 2024. The Board members welcomed newly appointed member Sharing Blady, who joined the meeting virtually for part of the meeting to introduce herself. Board members made decisions on the draft Guidelines and were provided briefings and updates related to ongoing future operations of the PMPRB.
Staff provided an overview of the communication strategy for the publication of the draft Guidelines. The Board directed the staff to host a webinar to explain the proposed Guidelines to the interested parties and answer their questions to ensure meaningful engagement from all.
Directors presented on ongoing departmental operations, including the work within Regulatory Affairs and Outreach and NPDUIS. The Director of Board Secretariat presented an overview of the work underway to modernize the hearing processes.
Virtual Board Meeting - January 9, 2025
The Board members met virtually on January 9, 2025. Further to the presentation at the previous meeting, the Board discussed the modernization of the hearing processes, with an emphasis on ensuring capacity to hold efficient hearings in the future.
Staff made a presentation on the 2024 Annual Report and the Board highlighted the importance of plain language and simplicity in its presentation to increase its appeal to a wider audience.
Virtual Board Meeting - February 12, 2025
Further to the previous meeting, Board staff presented amended options for improvements to the 2024 Annual Report.
Board Meeting in Vancouver on February 27, 2025
Board members met in person on February 27, 2025, where they received various presentations from the staff on updated and ongoing operational activities.
The staff presented revised options for improving the 2024 Annual Report in response to the comments received from the Board at the January Board meeting.
Staff presented the results of an in-depth analysis of how prices are set by the countries in the PMPRB11.
Board members received a presentation on the case management system for hearings. Staff presented the high-level functionalities necessary for the file management and
e-filing system that the PMPRB is intending to implement
The Regulatory Affairs and Outreach (RA&O) directorate presented their workplan for 2025-26 for the implementation of a new framework for price monitoring.
Board members discussed monitoring the efficacy of Guidelines following a staff presentation on the subject.
Virtual Board Meeting - April 8, 2025
Board members met virtually to receive a presentation from staff on the highlights of the submissions made by interested parties on the draft Guidelines and information about the engagement throughout the consultation process. The presentation included an analysis of the positions of the interested parties.
Board members also identified topics that would require more fulsome discussions at the May 1st Board meeting regarding the final Guidelines. The Board members requested additional information on specific points to support their discussions.
Board Meeting in Ottawa on May 1, 2025, Ottawa, Ontario
The Board members met on May 1, 2024, in Ottawa to discuss outstanding decisions regarding the Guidelines and ongoing operational activities. The majority of decisions were made and members requested to receive a draft of the Guidelines text in the following weeks.
The Board members received a presentation on the preliminary results of the Annual Report. Additionally, they received a presentation on updating the Code of Conduct for Board members.
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