HEALTH

The family doctor crisis will finally start to ease, while pharmacists take centre stage in patient care. The battle over private medicine will heat up. And governments will change how we treat addiction.

1 A Canadian Will Lead the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance

Jon Stokes made his name by besting the smallest enemies. In 2023, Stokes, an assistant professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University, was part of the research team behind SyntheMol, a generative AI model that can create new antibiotics to fight A. baumannii-a mega-deadly bacterium that proliferates in hospitals. He didn't stop there: this past June, he co-founded Stoked Bio, a Hamilton-based biotech startup aimed at concocting and quickly commercializing new medicines for cancer and, especially, bacterial infections. With Al's help, the goal is for Stokes's pharmaceuticals to out-multiply the problematic microbes that are outsmarting our existing antibiotics.

2 Pharmacare Will Finally Get Off the Ground

The supply-and-confidence agreement between the Liberals and NDP is dead. Among its legacies is Bill C-64, guaranteeing universal coverage for certain contraceptive and diabetes medications to anyone who holds a prescription. Initially, Health Minister Mark Holland set a goal to have "drugs flowing" by April 1, 2025. Key details of the $1.5-billion program still need to be ironed out, however-including the negotiation of bilateral agreements with provinces and territories.

3 New Med Schools Will Open Up the Family Doctor Pipeline