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Delphic Research Group learned from trusted sources that Doug Clark will no longer be serving as CEO of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA). At this point, little is known about the motivation or cause.
Clark, who began his role on September 11, 2023, was the first CEO of the pCPA and facilitated its transition to a standalone organization. Under his guidance, the organization was expected to issue a new strategic plan outlining the goals for the organization beyond 2024.
Following Clark's sudden departure, pCPA announced that its Deputy CEO, Dominic Tan, will assume the role of interim CEO. In the coming weeks, the recruitment process for a permanent CEO will start.
Meanwhile, the Ontario government is hiding data that it needs 33,000 more nurses and 50,000 more personal support workers by 2032, according to The Canadian Press. The Ontario NDP called on Premier Doug Ford to fire Health Minister Sylvia Jones following her claim that the province is not struggling to recruit and retain family doctors.
After redacting the human resources data in a freedom of information (FOI) request by Global News, the provincial government argued that releasing the information would push unions to demand higher wages.
As a response, Service Employees International Union President Sharleen Stewart, said that the province is “not serious” about its efforts to address the workforce shortage problems in Ontario, citing the government’s refusal to increase wages and improve working conditions.
NDP leader Marit Stiles also criticized Minister Jones’ comments, saying that the recruitment and retention of physicians cannot keep up with the healthcare demand. When Stiles asked Ford whether he would fire Jones, the premier avoided the question and highlighted the province’s recent investments in healthcare.
To support this argument, a survey by World Education Services titled Counting on Care: A Survey of Internationally Educated Nurses Not Working as Nurses in Ontario revealed that over half of internationally educated nurses in Ontario are not yet registered, with financial constraints and unclear registration processes being major obstacles.
With changes in leadership and workforce challenges, transparency remains a crucial factor in shaping policy discussions. In an analysis, Nikolas Barry-Shaw and Donya Ziaee of the Council of Canadians called out the lack of transparency and conflicts of interest in op-eds opposing Canada's national pharmacare program.
The article pointed out that these critiques came predominantly from policy experts affiliated with research institutes claiming to be independent but having direct financial ties to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, sectors that stand to lose from the implementation of a public pharmacare program.
Moreover, the federal government's underestimation of the cost by $388 million raises questions about the accuracy of cost estimations and financial planning in healthcare initiatives. Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) Yves Giroux, a non-partisan oversight officer of Parliament, estimated that the total cost of the Pharmacare program will amount to $1.9 billion over five years.
The PBO explained that its computation, although still highly uncertain, is based on the assumption that both public and private coverage terms in provinces and territories will remain the same. The total cost of Pharmacare may still increase or decrease, depending on the number of covered drugs.
Shaw then claims that the $388 million difference from the initially projected amount is insignificant, citing that the offset is less than 1% of the total federal spending.
The first stage of Pharmacare will provide universal, single-payer coverage of diabetes medication and contraceptives.
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