Program directory · Patented Medicine Prices Review Board Canada
Patented Medicine Price Regulation Program
- Program code
- BVM01 (PMPRB)
- Core responsibility
- Regulate Patented Medicine Prices
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2024-25 · Appeared and later dropped
What it does
Board Staff reviews introductory and ongoing price and sales information filed by patentees, for all patented drugs sold in Canada. When a price appears to be excessive, Board Staff conduct an investigation which could result in: 1) closure, where it is concluded that the price was not excessive; 2) a Voluntary Compliance Undertaking by the patentee to reduce the price and offset excess revenues obtained through a payment and/or a price reduction of another patented drug product; or 3) a public hearing to determine if the price is or was excessive. To make this determination a Hearing Panel of Board Members must consider the factors listed in the Patent Act namely: prices at which the medicine and other medicines in the same therapeutic class have been sold in Canada and the seven comparator countries; changes in the Consumer Price Index; and such other factors as may be specified in regulation. The Board may also consider the cost of making and marketing the medicine and other factors it deems relevant. In the event that the Hearing Panel finds a price is or was excessive, it may order the patentee to reduce the price and take measures to offset any excess revenues.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2018-19. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patented Medicine Price Regulation Program | This program | 2018-19 – 2026-27 | $52.1M |
| Patented Medicine Price Monitoring Program | Later program (name match, medium confidence) | 2025-26 – 2028-29 | — |
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Appears to be replaced by Patented Medicine Price Monitoring Program | Canada Spends name match across plans (an inference) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | — | — | — The PMPRB published its new Guidelines which operationalize the amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations in November 2020. Given that the new Guidelines do not take effect until January 1, 2022, it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2022-23 | — | — | — Amended Patented Medicines Regulations were brought into force July 1, 2022. As new Guidelines have not yet been implemented, it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2023-24 | — | — | — The PMPRB is consulting on how to address the amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations through its Guidelines. Given that the PMPRB’s new Guidelines have not been finalized it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2024-25 | — | — | S.O. In the absence of PMPRB Guidelines, this result was not calculable for 2024–25. | No result reported |
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 50% | 2019 | 57.1% The 57.1% of patented medicine prices in Canada reported as being below the median international price includes a significant number of patented medicines being sold in fewer than five countries and therefore are not being compared to the actual median international price. Of the 1,399 patented medicines sold in Canada in 2018, only 830 were sold in five or more countries. Of this 830, only 395 p… | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 50% | 2020 | 56.9% The 56.9% of patented medicine prices in Canada reported as being below the median international price includes a significant number of patented medicines being sold in fewer than five countries and therefore are not being compared to the actual median international price. Of the 1,348 patented medicines sold in Canada in 2019, only 778 were sold in five or more countries. Of this 778, only 365 p… | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 50% | 2021 | 58.2% The 58.2% of patented medicine prices in Canada reported as being below the median international price includes a significant number of patented medicines being sold in fewer than five countries and therefore are not being compared to the actual median international price. Of the 1,272 patented medicines sold in Canada in 2020, only 746 were sold in five or more countries. Of this 746, only 353 p… | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 50% | 2022 | 59.5% The 59.5% of patented medicine prices in Canada reported as being below the median international price includes a significant number of patented medicines being sold in fewer than five countries and therefore are not being compared to the actual median international price. Of the 1,158 patented medicines sold in Canada in 2021, only 700 were sold in five or more countries. Of this 700, only 343 p… | Met |
| 2022-23 | ≥ 50% | 2023 | 43.9% The result for 2022-23 compares patented medicine prices in Canada to the PMPRB11 schedule countries, reflecting a July 1, 2022, change in the allowable data collected by the PMPRB for price review under the Patented Medicine Regulations. As a result of this change, the result for 2022-23 is not directly comparable to those calculated for previous years, which used the PMPRB7 schedule countries f… | Not met |
| 2023-24 | ≥ 50% | 2024 | 39.1% The results for 2022–23 and 2023–24 compare patented medicine prices in Canada to the PMPRB11 schedule countries, reflecting a July 1, 2022, change in the allowable data collected by the PMPRB for price review under the Patented Medicine Regulations. As a result of this change, the results for 2022–23 onward are not directly comparable to those calculated for previous years, which used the PMPRB7… | Not met |
| 2024-25 | ≥ 50% | 2025 | 37% This indicator was introduced in 2015–16, under the premise that the PMPRB would continue to conduct its price reviews without significant changes in its regulatory framework. The results for 2022–23 onward compare patented medicine prices in Canada to the PMPRB11 schedule countries, reflecting a July 1, 2022, change in the allowable data collected by the PMPRB for price review under the Patented… | Not met |
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | — | — | — The PMPRB published its new Guidelines which operationalize the amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations in November 2020. Given that the new Guidelines do not take effect until January 1, 2022, it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2022-23 | — | — | — Amended Patented Medicines Regulations were brought into force July 1, 2022. As new Guidelines have not yet been implemented, it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2023-24 | — | — | — The PMPRB is consulting on how to address the amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations through its Guidelines. Given that the PMPRB’s new Guidelines have not been finalized it is too early to establish targets and dates for achieving those targets. | No result reported |
| 2024-25 | — | — | S.O. In the absence of PMPRB Guidelines, this result was not calculable for 2024–25. | No result reported |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
No indicators in the 2026-27 plan.
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | $9.3M | $5.7M |
| 2019-20 | $11.3M | $7.7M |
| 2020-21 | $12.6M | $8.9M |
| 2021-22 | $13.6M | $7.3M |
| 2022-23 | $11.7M | $6.9M |
| 2023-24 | $11.8M | $7.9M |
| 2024-25 | $12M | $7.6M |
| 2025-26 | $12.1M* | — |
| 2026-27 | $12.1M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 38 | 35 |
| 2019-20 | 46 | 45 |
| 2020-21 | 49 | 44 |
| 2021-22 | 46 | 41 |
| 2022-23 | 45 | 43 |
| 2023-24 | 43 | 45 |
| 2024-25 | 43 | 41 |
| 2025-26 | 43* | — |
| 2026-27 | 43* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $9,298,755 | $11,358,172 | $12,550,080 | ||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $11,305,062 | $12,493,518 | $13,477,169 | ||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $12,613,055 | $13,620,912 | $11,692,363 | ||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $13,639,046 | $11,710,497 | $11,710,497 | ||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $11,720,396 | $11,720,396 | $11,720,396 | ||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $11,774,573 | $11,774,573 | $11,774,573 | ||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $12,014,521 | $12,053,187 | $12,063,851 | ||||||
| Actual | $5,732,807 | $7,736,671 | $8,861,498 | $7,301,432 | $6,933,771 | $7,928,852 | $7,584,143 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
