Breakfast (Edinburgh Room)

Introduction (St. Andrew’s Hall)

Facilitators:

Francesca Allman, director of sales, Benefits Canada

Suzanne Lepage, private health plan strategist, Suzanne Lepage Consulting Inc.

Fireside chat: The business of health care

In this session, Chris Hannay will draw on his reporting experience and share his perspective on key developments shaping Canada’s health and benefits landscape, from preferred pharmacy networks to his ongoing Skinny Inc. series examining GLP 1 medications.

Speaker:

Chris Hannay, staff reporter, Toronto, the Globe and Mail

Panel: Balancing cost and care in speciality drug management

Specialty drugs account for a significant share of drug plan costs yet serve a small population of patients with complex health needs. This panel will explore the true drivers of drug plan costs, the role of patient support programs and how specialty pharmacy services and smart benefits design can balance cost management with better outcomes for patients with complex conditions.

Panellists:

Marie-Hélène Dugal, national pharmacy strategy lead, Medavie Blue Cross

Sandra Hanna, chief executive officer, Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada

Nicole Serena, founder, chief executive officer, PSP Solutions

Networking break (St. Andrew’s Lounge)

Workshop discussion: Balancing cost and care in speciality drug management

Panel: The patient journey from diagnosis to medication access

From diagnosis to treatment, delays and fragmented care continue to impact employee health and workplace productivity. This panel will explore the systemic challenges behind access gaps, including capacity constraints, care fragmentation and drug approval and reimbursement, as well as what can be done to improve outcomes and support a healthier, more productive workforce.

Panellists:

Paul Eckford, chief scientific officer, Cystic Fibrosis Canada

Lisa Machado, founder, Canadian CML Network

Leah M. Stephenson, strategic lead, All.Can Canada

More panellists to be confirmed.

Lunch (Edinburgh Room)

Workshop discussion: The patient journey from diagnosis to medication access

Panel: Drug plan partnerships of the future

Join senior leaders from across the private drug plan ecosystem for a forward-looking panel exploring what drug plan management will look like in the next decade. Panellists will discuss how partnerships can evolve and what each group wants and needs from one another to succeed.

Panellists:

Roger Thorpe, president, thorpebenefits, representative, Smart Health Benefits Association

More panellists to be confirmed.

Workshop discussion: Drug plan partnerships of the future

Wrap up and closing remarks