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Members were to vote Oct. 29 on CFPC plan to have dues go up automatically with inflation.

Social Services Minister Dr. Lionel Carmant, who himself is a physician, has resigned from caucus, deepening a crisis engulfing the Quebec government over a recently passed law imposing a new payment system on the province’s doctors.

While pharmacy groups agree with the spirit of the law, they say implementing it as legislation cuts pharmacy owners out of the process of establishing fair rules.

Doctors in Quebec have been outraged over the contents of Bill 2, which forces a compensation system that ties a portion of physician pay to several performance metrics and imposes heavy fines for taking ‘concerted action’ to protest the government.

Physicians who were instrumental in achieving Canada’s measles elimination status say they are disheartened by this disruption to a hard-fought public health achievement that lasted more than 25 years, but some are hopeful that it could also push the country to come together to get it back.

The bill, which was fast-tracked through Quebec's legislature and adopted early Saturday morning, prohibits doctors from using pressure tactics that could interfere with access to care.

Companies say the new partnership will allow pharmacists to get medications to patients more quickly and cheaply—and with less strain on resources.

The company announced it has closed on a round of funding led by the Canadian Business Growth Fund, with participation from the Business Development Bank of Canada, BMO Capital Partners, Whitecap Venture Partners and H Venture Partners.