February 3, 2023
Working with the global executive search firm Odgers Berndtson, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) is recruiting a chief executive officer as it continues its transition to a stand-alone organization. The new CEO is expected to be in place this spring.
This key step will help the organization more effectively achieve its 4 core objectives which are to (1) increase access to clinically relevant and cost-effective treatments; (2) achieve consistent and lower drug costs; (3) improve consistency in funding decisions; and (4) reduce duplication and optimize resource utilization.
An organizational review was conducted in 2019 to assess the pCPA’s current and future roles. This review found the pCPA is a rare collaboration of provincial, territorial and federal governments that has enabled the sharing of resources and expertise to achieve its objectives. It also identified changes that would help the organization improve its governance, strategic planning and operational management including the recommendation that the pCPA become a stand-alone organization.
The transition to a stand-alone organization and other changes recommended by the organizational review are anchored by the new pCPA strategic plan released in April 2022. Since then, a process has been underway to formalize and incorporate a new organizational structure, identify the corporate infrastructure required, and put other resources in place.
As a result of these collective efforts, a stand-alone pCPA corporation has now been created, a board representing participating governments has been appointed and the new organizational structure is being established. Along with the appointment of a CEO, senior staff will be recruited and decision-making processes will be optimized to ensure the organization is well-positioned to leverage the opportunities and address the challenges generated by a rapidly changing pharmaceutical environment.
The new organization will build on the work accomplished by the dedicated team of pCPA staff, who all contributed to the pCPA’s record of achievements over the past decade. These changes will allow the pCPA to better respond to the demands of the rapidly evolving pharmaceutical landscape including new drugs for rare diseases, CAR-T therapies, gene therapies, and biologics. It is crucial for the pCPA to increase its internal capacity to improve efficiency and ensure business sustainability. The new pCPA will be leading and supporting substantially more product negotiations on behalf of its public sector partners in the years ahead.
Under the leadership of a new CEO, the pCPA will focus on achieving the specific goals outlined in the strategic plan. This includes regularly communicating organizational updates, formalizing pathways to expedite negotiations and collaborating with industry partners on initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic priorities.
The pCPA remains committed to being consistent, collaborative, reliable and transparent with external stakeholders as it establishes itself as a newly incorporated stand-alone organization in the coming months. As the pCPA embarks on these changes, the organization looks forward to continuing to work in collaboration within our network and with our partners to increase access to clinically relevant and cost-effective treatments that improve the health of Canadians and preserve a sustainable publicly funded health system in Canada