May 15, 2025 - CDM Board Member Dr. Andriy Katyukha published an article warning that Canada’s public health care system remains vulnerable to large-scale privatization efforts backed by the Trump administration and its corporate allies. Beyond the push for investor-owned for-profit private clinics, there are concerns that the U.S. may seek to restrict access to affordable generic medications and pressure Canada to weaken its privacy and data protection laws, enabling U.S. corporations to profit from the sale of Canadians’ health data.

May 13, 2025 - CDM Past-Chair Dr. Danyaal Raza published an article in the Toronto Star highlighting the troubling rise of for-profit chains of primary care clinics and the serious risks associated with the commercialization of patient data. These companies hold patient data valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, with brand-name pharmaceutical companies among the largest purchasers. Dr. Raza calls on legislators and regulators to take action in response to the findings of a recent JAMA Network study, “The Primary Care Medical Record Industry in Canada and Its Data Collection and Commercialization Practices.”

May 9, 2025 - CDM Past-Chair Dr. Danyaal Raza was interviewed by CBC News about a recent study published in the JAMA Network, which found that private companies are selling patient data to pharmaceutical firms. The study highlights how a network of health data brokers, physicians, for-profit primary care chains, and pharmaceutical companies work together to collect and monetize patient information—turning health data into commercial assets.