"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 31 August 2016

WHAT DO THE CANCER FUNDS ACCOMPLISH ?

Every year it seems more people participate in raising more millions for cancer research. I understand government also contributes to research.

What doesn't seem to increase is success in lives saved as a result of new drugs developed .

Yesterday I received a petition named Sandra's Drugs. 

It seems a drug that would save Sandra's life has been approved for trials by Health Canada . 

But Sandra...and others ...will die from this terrible disease ...unless the cost is paid.

The drug is produced by Pfizer Pharmacy. 

Two obvious questions arise out of these circumstances. 

Why is the drug so expensive? 

What is accomplished with millions that continue to be raised each year for research to find the drug already approved for trials by Health Canada and marketed  by Phizer Pharmacy of Canada ? 

What is the story here? 

Year after year, millions, adding  to billions, are raised by volunteers, with blood,sweat and tears .

Handed over without question to the Canadian Cancer Society in desperate hope of  a drug to stop so many from dying.

Now we discover, through a petition circulating through social media,a drug is available but not to all
because of its horrendous cost. 

It must be affordable to a sufficient number for it to be produced in sufficent quantities to satisfy a 
market. 

Who can afford  the out-of- reach costs of this life-saving drug? 

Who is it that makes  it profitable to produce? 

Who are dying because they can't support  the cost ?

 Who are surviving  because they can ? 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

If you look into the petition, the drug is approved by Health Canada but not approved for subsidy until each province body approves it.

Drugs are expensive. No question, perhaps some of the money raised by people walking, running, biking, etc. should be directed to a fund that pays for expensive drugs.