PMPRB Strips Off Stringiest Policies Initially Proposed

The new PMPRB guidelines will go into effect in July, but only after removing some of the more stringent price control measures initially proposed.

In August of 2019, the Government of Canada approved the final amendments to the Patented Medicines Act, with the goal of giving the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) the tools to reduce drug prices. Since then, the PMPRB published three versions of the guidelines that are meant to operationalize the amendments, with each new version reflecting changes based on public consultations (submissions were received from provincial payers, patient groups, and the pharmaceutical industry). The latest version published in October of 2020 was set to come into effect this January 1st but is again delayed until July 1st, 2021. While the goal of these guidelines was to significantly lower drug prices, the PMPRB ended up cutting back or removing some of its most stringent initial proposed regulations.

For…