Health

In question period, members questioned the government about PrescribeIT, a $300-million electronic prescription program that is now being wound down. The Conservatives said only a small share of prescriptions went through the program, and asked where the money went and who received it, noting that Canada Health Infoway paid Telus Health to develop it. The government said it had set the program up with the provinces and territories and the money was spent, but that it was ended because provinces and doctors were not using it enough.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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4 statements

Dan Mazier, Riding Mountain

Conservative
“The government spent $300 million on a prescription software program that barely worked and is now being shut down. I want to know where that money went.”
Official Hansard

Mr Speaker, Canadians are learning that the Liberals spent $300 million on a software program called PrescribeIT. The Liberals promised PrescribeIT would replace fax machines for prescription drugs, but instead, less than 5% of prescriptions went through the program. Now the Liberals are quietly shutting down PrescribeIT, hoping Canadians won’t notice that their money is gone. Given that taxpayers funded a program that they do not own for a service that never worked, my question is simple: Where did the $300 million go?

Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health

Liberal
“We tried using an electronic prescription program with the provinces and territories a few years ago. We stopped funding it because the provinces were not using it.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, since this issue was discussed at the Standing Committee on Health, the government decided a few years ago to use the PrescribeIT program in collaboration with the provinces and territories. When we evaluated the program, it was not being used by the provinces, so the government stopped the funding.

Dan Mazier, Riding Mountain

Conservative
“The government spent $300 million on an electronic prescription program that gave Canadians nothing. I want to know who got that money.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, $300 million spent on PrescribeIT is making ArriveCAN look like pocket change. The Liberals paid Canada Health Infoway to design the program, which then paid Telus Health to develop the program, which then may have outsourced the work offshore. The CEO of Canada Health Infoway could not even tell the health committee how much the government paid him for this failure, claiming he did not know his own salary. Canadians got nothing from PrescribeIT. The $300-million question is, who got rich?

Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health

Liberal
“We set up the program in the provinces and territories, and the money was spent. We ended the program because doctors did not use it enough.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues are well aware, the program was put in place in the provinces and territories, so the money has been spent. However, doctors did not use the program enough for us to continue, so we ended it.

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