A soon-to-be cancelled federal IT program for doctors cost nearly $50 million more to develop and operate than was initially reported, MPs on the House of Commons health committee were told on April 21.
The program, PrescribeIT, was meant to make it easier for doctors to renew prescriptions by instantly sending drug prescriptions to pharmacies. The program is set to be shut down at the end of May 2026 due to low adoption rates.
Under questioning from Conservative MP Dan Mazier, a Health Canada official said that the total amount of money allocated to the program was $298 million. Canada Health Infoway had previously reported that PrescribeIT’s annual costs amounted to $35 million in recent years, adding up to over $250 million since 2017….