Friday, March 13, 2026

Canada’s Politics and Government News Source Since 1989

Friday, March 13, 2026 | Latest Paper

Pharma

The regulatory framework underpinning Canada’s drug approval system has not been designed to meet the unique needs of pediatric patients, write Charlotte Moore Hepburn and Catherine Litalien. Photograph courtesy of Pexels
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | February 1, 2026
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, left, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, centre, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe say they are all interested in discussing a pharmacare deal with the federal government, but any deal would have to respect each individual province’s unique needs and realities. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | February 1, 2026
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | February 1, 2026
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt, left, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, centre, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe say they are all interested in discussing a pharmacare deal with the federal government, but any deal would have to respect each individual province’s unique needs and realities. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | January 19, 2026
Health Minister Marjorie Michel's office told The Hill Times that she continues to have conversations with provinces and territories about pharmacare. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | January 19, 2026
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | January 19, 2026
Health Minister Marjorie Michel's office told The Hill Times that she continues to have conversations with provinces and territories about pharmacare. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 23, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel recently told CBC Radio’s “The House” that she's “relying a lot” on the efforts of frontline organizations and the health sciences sector to improve vaccination rates because she doesn’t want to “politicize” the issue. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 23, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 23, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel recently told CBC Radio’s “The House” that she's “relying a lot” on the efforts of frontline organizations and the health sciences sector to improve vaccination rates because she doesn’t want to “politicize” the issue. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 22, 2025
Guillaume Couillard, director general at the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, says that the high number of investigations in 2023 and 2024 are due to one approach set by the 2022 temporary guidelines, which will be replaced by permanent guidance on Jan. 1, 2026. Photograph courtesy of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 22, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 22, 2025
Guillaume Couillard, director general at the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, says that the high number of investigations in 2023 and 2024 are due to one approach set by the 2022 temporary guidelines, which will be replaced by permanent guidance on Jan. 1, 2026. Photograph courtesy of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 1, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel has not produced any bilateral agreements since joining cabinet this past May even though her government has repeatedly committed to protecting pharmacare. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 1, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | December 1, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel has not produced any bilateral agreements since joining cabinet this past May even though her government has repeatedly committed to protecting pharmacare. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY BENOIT-ANTOINE BACON | November 5, 2025
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is in charge of the research file. Universities, which contribute to economic growth, need sustained public investment in research and policies that foster long-term collaboration across sectors rather than short-term competition, writes Benoit-Antoine Bacon. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY BENOIT-ANTOINE BACON | November 5, 2025
Opinion | BY BENOIT-ANTOINE BACON | November 5, 2025
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is in charge of the research file. Universities, which contribute to economic growth, need sustained public investment in research and policies that foster long-term collaboration across sectors rather than short-term competition, writes Benoit-Antoine Bacon. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | November 3, 2025
The House health committee study was proposed by Conservative health critic Dan Mazier, left, who says there’s a ‘disconnect’ between immigration and the health care system. But Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski says the Conservatives’ framing of the issue ‘ticks’ him off and that the health-care system relies on immigrants who work within it. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | November 3, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | November 3, 2025
The House health committee study was proposed by Conservative health critic Dan Mazier, left, who says there’s a ‘disconnect’ between immigration and the health care system. But Liberal MP Marcus Powlowski says the Conservatives’ framing of the issue ‘ticks’ him off and that the health-care system relies on immigrants who work within it. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel is named in 29 communication reports since joining cabinet in May. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel is named in 29 communication reports since joining cabinet in May. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
Linda Silas, front, at an event in Ottawa earlier this year, with Jason MacLean, chair of the Canadian Health Coalition. Silas told The Hill Times that she felt there was a lack of 'directives' from the health ministers after their meeting about how they were going to tackle pan-Canadian licensing and violence against health care workers. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | October 27, 2025
Linda Silas, front, at an event in Ottawa earlier this year, with Jason MacLean, chair of the Canadian Health Coalition. Silas told The Hill Times that she felt there was a lack of 'directives' from the health ministers after their meeting about how they were going to tackle pan-Canadian licensing and violence against health care workers. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 15, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel. Health priorities are in part meant to fit with the Carney's government's work on building a stronger Canadian economy, according to consultants. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 15, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | September 15, 2025
Health Minister Marjorie Michel. Health priorities are in part meant to fit with the Carney's government's work on building a stronger Canadian economy, according to consultants. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY EDITORIAL | September 15, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney is now saying that his government will continue to negotiate remaining bilateral deals for pharmacare, which contradict earlier statements from his health minister's office. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY EDITORIAL | September 15, 2025
Opinion | BY EDITORIAL | September 15, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney is now saying that his government will continue to negotiate remaining bilateral deals for pharmacare, which contradict earlier statements from his health minister's office. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY ANNETTE ROBINSON | September 4, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel, pictured. The federal government must develop a strategy—with input from frontline health care professionals including pharmacists—to protect access to and affordability of medication, writes Annette Robinson. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY ANNETTE ROBINSON | September 4, 2025
Opinion | BY ANNETTE ROBINSON | September 4, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel, pictured. The federal government must develop a strategy—with input from frontline health care professionals including pharmacists—to protect access to and affordability of medication, writes Annette Robinson. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY BERNARD HO | August 25, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Health Minister Marjorie Michel, centre, with Governor General Mary Simon at the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall on May 13. The government has declared that it would protect the four existing bilateral agreements for pharmacare funding, but is not promising to go ahead with others. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY BERNARD HO | August 25, 2025
Opinion | BY BERNARD HO | August 25, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Health Minister Marjorie Michel, centre, with Governor General Mary Simon at the cabinet swearing-in ceremony at Rideau Hall on May 13. The government has declared that it would protect the four existing bilateral agreements for pharmacare funding, but is not promising to go ahead with others. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 18, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel is in charge of any future work connected to a national single-payer pharmacare program. However, what that program will look like is unknown as her office is not committing to negotiating deals with provinces and territories that had not signed up prior to the 2025 election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 18, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | August 18, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel is in charge of any future work connected to a national single-payer pharmacare program. However, what that program will look like is unknown as her office is not committing to negotiating deals with provinces and territories that had not signed up prior to the 2025 election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY SHELITA DATTANI | August 6, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel. We must go back to square one and reset the model for national pharmacare, writes Shelita Dattani. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY SHELITA DATTANI | August 6, 2025
Opinion | BY SHELITA DATTANI | August 6, 2025
Marjorie Michel
Health Minister Marjorie Michel. We must go back to square one and reset the model for national pharmacare, writes Shelita Dattani. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 20, 2025
Guillaume Couillard became director general of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board in April 2023. He now leads a team that will monitor and review drug prices under new guidelines to enforce regulations that were put into force in July 2022. Photograph courtesy of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 20, 2025
News | BY TESSIE SANCI | July 20, 2025
Guillaume Couillard became director general of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board in April 2023. He now leads a team that will monitor and review drug prices under new guidelines to enforce regulations that were put into force in July 2022. Photograph courtesy of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | May 14, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney made a commitment to 'protect the programs that save families thousands of dollars per year, including pharmacare,' during a May 2 press conference in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | May 14, 2025
News | BY JESSE CNOCKAERT | May 14, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney made a commitment to 'protect the programs that save families thousands of dollars per year, including pharmacare,' during a May 2 press conference in Ottawa. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade