Yes, PrescribeIT is dead. But pharmacists say Canada still needs a national e-prescribing plan.
The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada (Neighbourhood Pharmacies) is urging Ottawa to recommit to a coordinated national e-prescribing strategy following the collapse of Canada’s national platform, PrescribeIT.
In a new pre-budget submission to the federal finance committee, the association argued the need for a connected national system has not disappeared—if anything, it has become more urgent.
“E-prescribing can improve medication safety, reduce administrative burden, support continuity of care, reduce prescription errors, and improve communication between prescribers and pharmacy teams,” the submission stated.
“However, without federal leadership, Canada risks fragmentation across jurisdictions, vendors, prescribers, and pharmacy systems."
That fragmentation, the association argued, could in turn create new communication gaps between physicians and pharmacies and make connected care harder to deliver. To prevent that, the group is urging Ottawa to take a more coordinated national approach to digital interoperability before provinces and software vendors drift further apart.
In practical terms, Neighbourhood Pharmacies argues Canada needs a “‘one project, one review’ mindset for digital health interoperability,” with clearer standards and less duplication between systems.
“Budget 2026 should recognize that e-prescribing and connected care are not simply technology projects,” the submission stated. “They are health system infrastructure.”
“Federal leadership can help provide predictability, certainty, and clarity for technology vendors, pharmacy operators, prescribers, provinces, and patients.”