Health

Question period focused on PrescribeIT, a digital e-prescribing program run by Canada Health Infoway that received $300 million and is being shut down. Conservatives asked why the money produced so little uptake and why the minister did not act sooner, and raised the health committee voting to close its meetings to cameras; they also asked how much more funding Infoway would get this year. The minister said the program was launched in 2017 under the previous government with provincial participation, that uptake was low when she took office, and that it was ended to protect public money; she agreed the Infoway CEO’s behaviour was unacceptable, said the board removed him and governance is being addressed, and said Infoway will receive $50 million this year with figures public.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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3 statements

Dan Mazier, Riding Mountain

Conservative
“The government spent $300 million on a digital prescription program that failed and is being shut down. The minister never raised concerns about it. Why did the minister let this money be wasted?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave Canada Health Infoway $300 million for PrescribeIT, a program that they promised would replace fax machines for prescription drugs. Instead, less than 5% of the prescriptions went through the program, and PrescribeIT is now being quietly shut down with no results. Canadians still do not know where their money went. Yesterday at the health committee, the chair of Canada Health Infoway revealed that the health minister never once raised concerns about PrescribeIT. Why did the Liberal minister allow $300 million to be burned, without saying a word?

Helena Konanz, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay

Conservative
“The government wasted $300 million on a failed digital prescription program. Now they are shutting down committee meetings so the minister does not have to answer for it. I want to know why they are hiding this from Canadians.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need answers on how the Liberals burned $300 million on their failed PrescribeIT program, money that could have been spent on other health care needs. Just last week, the Liberals moved to shut off the cameras at the health committee, sealing the records of that meeting for 30 years. Yesterday, the Liberals shut down the health committee to prevent the minister from testifying. Why is the Liberals’ $300‑million PrescribeIT failure being hidden from Canadians?

Matt Strauss, Kitchener South—Hespeler

Conservative
“The government gave 300 million dollars to Canada Health Infoway for a project that failed. The group only fired its CEO after Conservatives brought up these problems. How much more money will the minister give this poorly run group this year? I want the exact dollar amount.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave $300 million to Canada Health Infoway to build PrescribeIT, which the minister now acknowledges was a total failure. However, here is the problem. The board of Canada Health Infoway only fired its million‑dollar CEO after Conservatives raised these failures at the health committee. How much more money does the health minister plan to give this very badly run organization this year? I would like just the number of dollars, please.

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