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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 .

Official text

3 statements

Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“The previous government started the PrescribeIT program in 2017. When we took office, not enough people were using it, so we shut it down to save Canadians money.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. The PrescribeIT program was launched in 2017 by the previous government following consultations with the provinces and territories. When we took office last year, we assessed the program and saw that that uptake was low, so we decided to shut down the program. That is what happened, and we are saving Canadians money.

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Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“We ended this program because it did not work and not enough people used it. We did this to protect Canadians' money.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again for my colleague: This program was put in place in 2017 with the participation of the provinces and territories. The program did not work the way we had hoped it would. When I took office last year, we assessed the programs and saw that this program did not have much uptake, so we decided to end it to protect Canadians’ money.

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Marjorie Michel

Liberal
“The CEO's behaviour was unacceptable, and the board took action. We are fixing how the organization is run. It will still get $50 million this year, and those numbers are public.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the first thing I will say to my colleague is, yes, he is right, the CEO of Infoway’s behaviour was unacceptable. I spoke to the board of directors, and they took the necessary steps. Now we are working on the organization’s governance. However, this year, Infoway will receive $50 million. As you know, that money is in the public accounts of the Department of Health, so you have access to those figures.

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