Five affordable ways to improve access to health care in 2026
Governments must find ways to reduce restrictions on where doctors can practise and barriers for international medical graduates, improve health data system, create AI guidelines, and lessen the health system’s carbon footprint.
CUSMA must do more than protect trade—it must secure Canada’s life sciences future
The U.S. may begin to apply tariffs or other barriers to enhance its domestic production, and if that happens, Canada will need a plan not just to respond, but also to thrive.
Alberta’s health-care reforms don’t go far enough
If the Smith government allowed private ‘urgent care’ and family care, it could open the door for innovation and personalization.
PHAC lacks timely national data on children’s vaccination rates as report finds agency is not meeting targets
The agency’s 2024-25 departmental results report uses rates from a 2021 survey. Newer data is available, but that source doesn’t include rates from all provinces and territories.
Redesigning Canada’s health policy to spur innovation
When patents create an unbalanced system of protection, regulatory exclusivities, which safeguard a firm’s data from being copied by competitors while still allowing scientific collaboration, offer a better alternative.
PMPRB closes all open drug-pricing investigations before implementing new guidelines on Jan. 1
But that doesn’t mean the drug pricing tribunal can’t look at past years’ data to inform future reviews of drug prices, says director general Guillaume Couillard.
Solution to substance abuse in Ottawa will come from collaboration, say area politicians
The federal government will invest $1.2-million in a project created by the City of Ottawa and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction to deter people from harmful drug use, and towards care and health services.
Lack of primary care so ‘chronic’ that patients don’t even talk about it, says Liberal MP and doctor Powlowski
Two recent surveys find that a significant portion of Canadians do not have access to a primary care provider as governments across Canada attempt to tackle the long-time health human resources shortage.
Bill calling for more serious punishment for assaulting first responders not fast-tracked despite Conservative MPs’ efforts
The Senate bill is identical to MP Todd Doherty’s bill, which nearly became law but died on the order paper when the election was called this past spring.
Minister called to de-haze budget math on cuts to veterans’ medical cannabis reimbursement
The proposed $2.50-per-gram reduction in reimbursements could ‘fundamentally change’ veterans’ access to high-quality and affordable products, says Dr. Nick Withers.
