PMPRB sharpens the knife: paper-based hearings signal that price enforcement is finally coming
For most of its 40 years, the federal price watchdog has been a body that rarely bites. A dry procedural consultation suggests that's about to change — and patented list prices that anchor channel economics are the target.
On March 5, 2026, the PMPRB proposed Practice Directions shifting from live, in-person “action”-style hearings toward paper-based “application”-style hearings, with feedback accepted until May 4 — a procedural change tied to its new Guidelines, which came into force January 1, 2026.
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board has long been more deterrent than enforcer. In its almost 40-year history, the Board has presided over relatively few hearings. That gap between authority and action is exactly what makes its latest move worth reading closely. On March 5, the PMPRB proposed Practice Directions shifting away from live, in-person "action"-style hearings toward paper-based "application"-style hearings, with feedback accepted until May 4 — a change that suggests the Board is preparing to hold more enforcement hearings under its new Guidelines, which came into force January 1, 2026.
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