Mélanie Bourassa Forcier, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Sherbrooke and CIRANO Fellow, was appointed to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) on June 14, 2019.

The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board is an independent body with quasi-judicial powers. The PMPRB protects the interests of Canadians by ensuring that patented drug products are not sold in Canada at excessive prices.  The PMPRB is also required to report trends in pharmaceutical sales and pricing for all drugs, as well as patentees' research and development expenditures.

The PMPRB's advisors, including the Chairperson, are collectively responsible for the implementation of the applicable provisions of the Patent Act. Together, they establish the Council's guidelines, rules, by-laws and other policies and consult, as required, with stakeholders, including ministers of health and representatives of consumer groups, the pharmaceutical industry and other interested parties. The Board consists of up to five part-time members, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The President and Vice-President sit on the Board's Executive Committee, which meets monthly.