It was madness to make the promise in the first place.
The forgotten purpose of Pharmac is to take the heat for the reality that there is NEVER enough money to satisfy the public demand for healthcare spending. Rationing is a necessity, and it is Pharmac's job to put the money allocated where it buys the most QALYs (quality adjusted life years).
Once politicians get involved all balance is lost. The money goes to popular, "deserving" diseases. Cancer is always a heartstring puller, as are childhood diseases of all sorts. Mental illness and obesity are not.
Also, the pharmaceutical industry shamelessly hypes up the efficacy of its products. It is illuminating to look at the "game-changing" new drugs of ten years ago. How many have been withdrawn because they didn't live up to expectations, or had unacceptable adverse effects? The other shameless marketing strategy of the pharmaceutical industry is to fund patient activism.
New Zealand is not as wealthy as the countries with which we like to compare ourselves, such as Australia, the UK and the USA, but the cost of pharmaceuticals is roughly the same. If we want to fund every drug that Australia does, it will take a proportionately bigger chunk of our national earnings.
Please let's get real. Rationing is a necessity, it is the only fair way, and decisions have to be made as objectively as possible on bang for the buck. Politicians should keep out of it and not make foolish election promises.
I am no fan of Matthew Hooton, so when even he points to the disingenuous nature of Willis' first budget one would be hard pressed not to understand the gravity of what we face as a country. The bald nature of the lie surrounding the cancer funding just doesn't stack up which ever way one attempts to contort the mind. What becomes ever clearer with each passing day is that National's Manifesto, from the very start, was a deliberate move to beguile a willing section of our country into believing that their lives would be materially better served their governance. The bitter reality is that yet again as with Key/English and Bolger before Nationals only priority to to give more to those who are already doing OK.
The excuses are b s surely. As mentioned " the delays" should not have prevented a sum being allocated in budget, for when spending can start. No allocation ment Willis had no intention of spending anything on new cancer drugs in the next 12 months.
This whole debacle defies belief! There would be few any New Zealanders who would be untouched by cancer whether it be personal or family and friends so it is an issue close to our hearts.
It was madness to make the promise in the first place.
The forgotten purpose of Pharmac is to take the heat for the reality that there is NEVER enough money to satisfy the public demand for healthcare spending. Rationing is a necessity, and it is Pharmac's job to put the money allocated where it buys the most QALYs (quality adjusted life years).
Once politicians get involved all balance is lost. The money goes to popular, "deserving" diseases. Cancer is always a heartstring puller, as are childhood diseases of all sorts. Mental illness and obesity are not.
Also, the pharmaceutical industry shamelessly hypes up the efficacy of its products. It is illuminating to look at the "game-changing" new drugs of ten years ago. How many have been withdrawn because they didn't live up to expectations, or had unacceptable adverse effects? The other shameless marketing strategy of the pharmaceutical industry is to fund patient activism.
New Zealand is not as wealthy as the countries with which we like to compare ourselves, such as Australia, the UK and the USA, but the cost of pharmaceuticals is roughly the same. If we want to fund every drug that Australia does, it will take a proportionately bigger chunk of our national earnings.
Please let's get real. Rationing is a necessity, it is the only fair way, and decisions have to be made as objectively as possible on bang for the buck. Politicians should keep out of it and not make foolish election promises.
I am no fan of Matthew Hooton, so when even he points to the disingenuous nature of Willis' first budget one would be hard pressed not to understand the gravity of what we face as a country. The bald nature of the lie surrounding the cancer funding just doesn't stack up which ever way one attempts to contort the mind. What becomes ever clearer with each passing day is that National's Manifesto, from the very start, was a deliberate move to beguile a willing section of our country into believing that their lives would be materially better served their governance. The bitter reality is that yet again as with Key/English and Bolger before Nationals only priority to to give more to those who are already doing OK.
The excuses are b s surely. As mentioned " the delays" should not have prevented a sum being allocated in budget, for when spending can start. No allocation ment Willis had no intention of spending anything on new cancer drugs in the next 12 months.
They really are looking inept... .
This whole debacle defies belief! There would be few any New Zealanders who would be untouched by cancer whether it be personal or family and friends so it is an issue close to our hearts.
Why offer up hope and then take it away?