Infoway Pulls the Plug on PrescribeIT

Why It Matters

The shutdown highlights the challenges of funding digital health infrastructure in Canada and signals a pivot toward standardized, interoperable solutions that could accelerate nationwide e‑prescribing adoption.

Key Takeaways

• PrescribeIT shut down May 29 after $250M spend.
• Adoption below 5%; most prescriptions still faxed.
• No federal‑provincial cost‑sharing model caused unsustainability.
• $0.20 per script fee deterred pharmacies.
• Infoway will maintain national e‑prescribing standard.

Pulse Analysis

PrescribeIT was launched in 2017 as Canada Health Infoway’s flagship e‑prescribing solution, intended to replace faxed prescriptions with a secure, electronic workflow for physicians and pharmacists. Backed primarily by federal funds, the platform accumulated over $250 million in expenses, yet it never reached critical mass. By 2025, adoption hovered below five percent, and most clinicians continued to rely on legacy fax and paper processes. Analysts attribute the shortfall to fragmented provincial priorities, limited integration with existing practice‑management software, and a pricing model that proved unattractive to pharmacies.

The program’s termination underscores the fiscal realities of Canada’s health‑technology ecosystem. Without a shared cost‑recovery agreement among federal, provincial and territorial governments, Infoway faced an annual budget of roughly $35 million that could not be justified by the modest usage rates. The introduction of a $0.20‑per‑prescription transaction fee in 2025 further eroded participation, as a 2024 CPhA survey showed 65 percent of pharmacists would abandon the service under that charge. Bill S‑5, recently tabled in Parliament, seeks to remove data‑blocking practices and establish common standards, offering a more sustainable path for electronic prescribing.

Looking ahead, Infoway’s decision to maintain a national e‑prescribing standard rather than operate a proprietary platform may align better with Canada’s decentralized health system. By publishing open specifications, the agency hopes to enable private vendors, such as Telus Health, to build interoperable solutions that provinces can adopt at their own pace. This approach could reduce duplication, lower implementation costs, and foster competition, ultimately delivering the promised safety and efficiency gains. Stakeholders will watch closely to see whether the new standard, coupled with Bill S‑5’s data‑sharing provisions, finally drives widespread electronic prescribing across the country.