Fredericton — The outgoing virtual-care provider eVisitNB says it supplied the province with data indicating a large share of its consultations were for prescription renewals, contradicting recent remarks by Health Minister John Dornan.
Who says what
At a news conference this week, the minister said the department did not have figures from the previous provider showing how many encounters would be for prescription renewals. "We didn't have data from the prior provider as to what volume was prescription renewals," he told reporters.
"We didn't have data from the prior provider as to what volume was prescription renewals and you could almost expect that. We have 200,000 people that don't have family doctors or primary care practitioners."
eVisitNB chief executive and co‑founder Hanif Chatur told CBC News the company had, in fact, forwarded emails to the department in September 2025 that included year‑to‑date information showing approximately 63 per cent of their consults were for prescription renewals. He said the company records detailed metrics about its digital consults and met its reporting obligations.
Why the disagreement matters
The discrepancy matters for planning Virtual Care NB, the province's new virtual service, because an unexpectedly high volume of refill requests could affect staffing, workflows and pharmacy relationships. The minister also referenced the challenge posed by the province's number of residents without family physicians when explaining why refill demand may be high.
- eVisitNB's claim: Sent emails in September 2025 showing ~63% of consults were prescription renewals.
- Province's claim: Department did not have data from the prior provider on refill volumes.
- Context: Minister noted around 200,000 people in the province lack a family doctor or primary care practitioner.
Practical implications for patients
If refill requests form the majority of virtual consults, the province needs systems to prioritise medication continuity for people without regular primary care. How Virtual Care NB configures its intake and triage processes may determine wait times for renewals and for other types of care.
Officials and the former provider have not publicly produced the specific emails referenced, and there is no published provincial report included in the material provided to this newsroom. The differing accounts raise questions about record‑keeping and communication between contractors and government during a transition of services.
| Item | Figure reported |
|---|---|
| Proportion of consults that were prescription renewals | ~63% (eVisitNB reported) |
| Residents without a family doctor | 200,000 (referenced by minister) |
Requests for clarification were made to the Department of Health and to eVisitNB. As of publication, the department's public statement remains that it did not receive prior‑provider data pinpointing the volume of prescription renewals; eVisitNB maintains it provided such information in September 2025.
How the province reconciles the two accounts could influence immediate operational choices at Virtual Care NB and longer‑term planning for primary care access in the province.
