In February 2023, , a member of Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) , resigned in a blistering letter to the federal government. Herder , a health law expert at Dalhousie University , accused the Liberal government of failing to support "real change" and undermining the regulator's independence to favor the pharmaceutical industry. Key Reasons for Resignation

: Herder noted that the federal government delayed the introduction of new pricing regulations four separate times, accepting industry claims that more time was needed.

: He pointed to the government's decision not to appeal a Quebec Court of Appeal ruling that struck down several core pricing reforms, effectively "eviscerating" the government’s own policy.

Herder’s departure was prompted by what he described as the government’s "unwillingness to support real change" in drug pricing reform. His specific grievances included:

Herder’s resignation was followed shortly by the resignation of PMPRB Executive Director , signaling a leadership crisis at the agency. This turmoil occurred after a decade-long effort to modernize pricing rules in Canada, where drug prices remain among the highest in the world , second only to the U.S. and Switzerland. Resignations at Canada's drug pricing panel raise ... - PMC

: He criticized then-Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos for intervening on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry by asking the board to suspend consultations on new pricing guidelines.