Today, the OCP Board of Directors approved the following motion:
THAT the Board of Directors defers deliberation and decisions related to PPNs until June 2025 to provide the provincial government time to provide essential clarity on their approach and any actions they plan to take, thereby informing OCP on the necessary regulatory interventions required to protect the public interest.
Last fall, the Ministry of Finance completed a consultation on Preferred Provider Networks (PPNs), and we expect the government’s approach on this issue will matter greatly to any decision made by any other party, including us as the pharmacy regulator that serves the public interest. We are hopeful that the government will be indicating how it plans to proceed based on their consultation imminently. We, therefore, are awaiting more information from the government and have requested clarity on their approach.
It is important to acknowledge that the PPN issue is bigger than pharmacy and that it touches several different government ministries, industries, professions and even regulatory priorities. Deferring a decision until the government has determined its next steps on this matter will only strengthen the Board’s ability to serve the public interest and ensure that it is making the best possible decisions on the appropriate regulatory interventions once we understand what the government will, or will not, do on a topic that matters to many Ontarians.
It is not uncommon for OCP to wait for government to make a decision or announce an intended direction or approach before deciding what regulatory decisions are needed, whether that be related to the development of policies, guidance or other actions. We know that there are many people waiting to hear how the pharmacy regulator will respond to the public interest concerns related to closed PPNs. This remains a top priority and we are steadfastly committed to fulfilling this commitment once we have the information we need about the government’s intended approach.
Until then, we ask for your continued patience as we work together with our regulatory and government partners on this critically important topic for Ontarians.