• National Paying too much for grugs that are not recommended.

    From Rich80105@21:1/5 to All on Wed Jun 19 22:13:32 2024
    National are still fighting against doing what is in the best
    interests of New Zealanders - see

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    "Health Minister Shane Reti's hard line around funding 13 new cancer
    treatments is a "lose-lose" for patients, oncologist Chris Jackson
    says.

    On the campaign trail, National promised to fund the drugs that had
    been highlighted in a Cancer Control Agency Report about the medicine
    gap in Aotearoa; Professor Jackson was one of the authors.

    But despite Reti submitting a funding bid the treatments were not
    included in the Budget prompting a public outcry.

    At a select committee hearing on Tuesday Dr Reti doubled down on
    National's promise, saying it would fund the specified drugs.

    Professor Jackson said the drugs were put on the list three years ago
    and treatments had moved on.

    A new list would be "meaningfully different", he said, and would
    prevent a significant number of people, such as those with blood
    cancer, missing out.

    If the government persisted, better drugs would miss out and drug
    companies would be able to charge "top dollar" for the named drugs.

    National had bought itself a political problem by promising named
    drugs to cancer sufferers.

    The best option would be to give Pharmac set funding for cancer
    treatments.

    "A better way out of this would be for National to say we promise
    everyone who had a drug on the list they will get the same or better
    which would give the experts a chance to come up with a newer list."

    It would also mean the drug companies would have to compete against
    other which was better for taxpayers and those with cancer would gain
    access to much more modern treatments.

    While the minister was maintaining that the experts had chosen the
    list, Professor Jackson said the experts were now calling for the list
    to be redone.

    "Hear what we're saying now which is redo the list."

    National's current list contained no drugs to treat breast, prostate
    and blood cancers and only one for colon cancer and it was not the
    best one available now.

    For bowel cancer there was now a drug and immune therapy available
    which cured 40 to 60 percent of those with metastatic disease while
    for melanoma there was a treatment which was working for half of
    patients with secondary brain cancers.

    "So if we go ahead with this dogged policy we're going to be in a
    lose-lose situation because the best drugs won't get across the line
    and we'll be paying top dollar."

    He was adamant that the government was undermining Pharmac by naming
    drugs that would be purchased.

    Pharmac should be in charge of making the decisions, he said.

    "By picking winners we're putting politicians in the position whereby
    it's open season. It becomes standard that politicians get lobbied for individual drugs and that's a terrible position to be because
    politicians are the last people we want picking drugs for us."

    More staff including nurses and doctors and other resources would also
    be required because once the drugs were bought it would be the largest
    number ever dropped into the health sector at the same time.

    Professor Jackson said he had contacted both Prime Minister
    Christopher Luxon and Reti but had not had any response so far. "

    _________________________
    National - putting politics ahead of New Zealanders health. Shame on
    them.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Wed Jun 19 20:01:10 2024
    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    National are still fighting against doing what is in the best
    interests of New Zealanders - see

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    "Health Minister Shane Reti's hard line around funding 13 new cancer >treatments is a "lose-lose" for patients, oncologist Chris Jackson
    says.

    On the campaign trail, National promised to fund the drugs that had
    been highlighted in a Cancer Control Agency Report about the medicine
    gap in Aotearoa; Professor Jackson was one of the authors.

    But despite Reti submitting a funding bid the treatments were not
    included in the Budget prompting a public outcry.

    At a select committee hearing on Tuesday Dr Reti doubled down on
    National's promise, saying it would fund the specified drugs.

    Professor Jackson said the drugs were put on the list three years ago
    and treatments had moved on.

    A new list would be "meaningfully different", he said, and would
    prevent a significant number of people, such as those with blood
    cancer, missing out.

    If the government persisted, better drugs would miss out and drug
    companies would be able to charge "top dollar" for the named drugs.

    National had bought itself a political problem by promising named
    drugs to cancer sufferers.

    The best option would be to give Pharmac set funding for cancer
    treatments.

    "A better way out of this would be for National to say we promise
    everyone who had a drug on the list they will get the same or better
    which would give the experts a chance to come up with a newer list."

    It would also mean the drug companies would have to compete against
    other which was better for taxpayers and those with cancer would gain
    access to much more modern treatments.

    While the minister was maintaining that the experts had chosen the
    list, Professor Jackson said the experts were now calling for the list
    to be redone.

    "Hear what we're saying now which is redo the list."

    National's current list contained no drugs to treat breast, prostate
    and blood cancers and only one for colon cancer and it was not the
    best one available now.

    For bowel cancer there was now a drug and immune therapy available
    which cured 40 to 60 percent of those with metastatic disease while
    for melanoma there was a treatment which was working for half of
    patients with secondary brain cancers.

    "So if we go ahead with this dogged policy we're going to be in a
    lose-lose situation because the best drugs won't get across the line
    and we'll be paying top dollar."

    He was adamant that the government was undermining Pharmac by naming
    drugs that would be purchased.

    Pharmac should be in charge of making the decisions, he said.

    "By picking winners we're putting politicians in the position whereby
    it's open season. It becomes standard that politicians get lobbied for >individual drugs and that's a terrible position to be because
    politicians are the last people we want picking drugs for us."

    More staff including nurses and doctors and other resources would also
    be required because once the drugs were bought it would be the largest
    number ever dropped into the health sector at the same time.

    Professor Jackson said he had contacted both Prime Minister
    Christopher Luxon and Reti but had not had any response so far. "

    _________________________
    National - putting politics ahead of New Zealanders health. Shame on
    them.
    Shame on you for your lies and support of the last government that actively destroyed lives.
    There is so much money and that is all - sad but true, however you only believe that when Labour are in command.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From David Goodwin@21:1/5 to All on Thu Jun 20 08:23:05 2024
    In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    says...

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    National are still fighting against doing what is in the best
    interests of New Zealanders - see

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    "Health Minister Shane Reti's hard line around funding 13 new cancer >treatments is a "lose-lose" for patients, oncologist Chris Jackson
    says.

    On the campaign trail, National promised to fund the drugs that had
    been highlighted in a Cancer Control Agency Report about the medicine
    gap in Aotearoa; Professor Jackson was one of the authors.

    But despite Reti submitting a funding bid the treatments were not
    included in the Budget prompting a public outcry.

    At a select committee hearing on Tuesday Dr Reti doubled down on
    National's promise, saying it would fund the specified drugs.

    Professor Jackson said the drugs were put on the list three years ago
    and treatments had moved on.

    A new list would be "meaningfully different", he said, and would
    prevent a significant number of people, such as those with blood
    cancer, missing out.

    If the government persisted, better drugs would miss out and drug
    companies would be able to charge "top dollar" for the named drugs.

    National had bought itself a political problem by promising named
    drugs to cancer sufferers.

    The best option would be to give Pharmac set funding for cancer
    treatments.

    "A better way out of this would be for National to say we promise
    everyone who had a drug on the list they will get the same or better
    which would give the experts a chance to come up with a newer list."

    It would also mean the drug companies would have to compete against
    other which was better for taxpayers and those with cancer would gain >access to much more modern treatments.

    While the minister was maintaining that the experts had chosen the
    list, Professor Jackson said the experts were now calling for the list
    to be redone.

    "Hear what we're saying now which is redo the list."

    National's current list contained no drugs to treat breast, prostate
    and blood cancers and only one for colon cancer and it was not the
    best one available now.

    For bowel cancer there was now a drug and immune therapy available
    which cured 40 to 60 percent of those with metastatic disease while
    for melanoma there was a treatment which was working for half of
    patients with secondary brain cancers.

    "So if we go ahead with this dogged policy we're going to be in a
    lose-lose situation because the best drugs won't get across the line
    and we'll be paying top dollar."

    He was adamant that the government was undermining Pharmac by naming
    drugs that would be purchased.

    Pharmac should be in charge of making the decisions, he said.

    "By picking winners we're putting politicians in the position whereby
    it's open season. It becomes standard that politicians get lobbied for >individual drugs and that's a terrible position to be because
    politicians are the last people we want picking drugs for us."

    More staff including nurses and doctors and other resources would also
    be required because once the drugs were bought it would be the largest >number ever dropped into the health sector at the same time.

    Professor Jackson said he had contacted both Prime Minister
    Christopher Luxon and Reti but had not had any response so far. "

    _________________________
    National - putting politics ahead of New Zealanders health. Shame on
    them.
    Shame on you for your lies and support of the last government that actively destroyed lives.
    There is so much money and that is all - sad but true, however you only believe
    that when Labour are in command.

    I'm not sure how Labour is relevant here? This isn't about Labour -
    they're not in charge anymore. And if you're going to claim lies it
    would be helpful to other readers if you pointed out what specifically
    you believe to be a lie. I don't see any obvious lies in the quoted
    text.

    National has promised that which they should not have promised, and then
    failed to deliver destroying the hopes of people whose lives depend on
    that promise being fulfilled.

    National made a mistake and it's as simple as that.

    As for funding: perhaps National should have prioritised the money they
    *do* have better. Instead of breaking their promise to cancer patients,
    they could have broken their promise to property investors. They did
    have choices here.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Rich80105@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Thu Jun 20 12:44:12 2024
    On Thu, 20 Jun 2024 08:23:05 +1200, David Goodwin
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    says...

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    National are still fighting against doing what is in the best
    interests of New Zealanders - see

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    "Health Minister Shane Reti's hard line around funding 13 new cancer
    treatments is a "lose-lose" for patients, oncologist Chris Jackson
    says.

    On the campaign trail, National promised to fund the drugs that had
    been highlighted in a Cancer Control Agency Report about the medicine
    gap in Aotearoa; Professor Jackson was one of the authors.

    But despite Reti submitting a funding bid the treatments were not
    included in the Budget prompting a public outcry.

    At a select committee hearing on Tuesday Dr Reti doubled down on
    National's promise, saying it would fund the specified drugs.

    Professor Jackson said the drugs were put on the list three years ago
    and treatments had moved on.

    A new list would be "meaningfully different", he said, and would
    prevent a significant number of people, such as those with blood
    cancer, missing out.

    If the government persisted, better drugs would miss out and drug
    companies would be able to charge "top dollar" for the named drugs.

    National had bought itself a political problem by promising named
    drugs to cancer sufferers.

    The best option would be to give Pharmac set funding for cancer
    treatments.

    "A better way out of this would be for National to say we promise
    everyone who had a drug on the list they will get the same or better
    which would give the experts a chance to come up with a newer list."

    It would also mean the drug companies would have to compete against
    other which was better for taxpayers and those with cancer would gain
    access to much more modern treatments.

    While the minister was maintaining that the experts had chosen the
    list, Professor Jackson said the experts were now calling for the list
    to be redone.

    "Hear what we're saying now which is redo the list."

    National's current list contained no drugs to treat breast, prostate
    and blood cancers and only one for colon cancer and it was not the
    best one available now.

    For bowel cancer there was now a drug and immune therapy available
    which cured 40 to 60 percent of those with metastatic disease while
    for melanoma there was a treatment which was working for half of
    patients with secondary brain cancers.

    "So if we go ahead with this dogged policy we're going to be in a
    lose-lose situation because the best drugs won't get across the line
    and we'll be paying top dollar."

    He was adamant that the government was undermining Pharmac by naming
    drugs that would be purchased.

    Pharmac should be in charge of making the decisions, he said.

    "By picking winners we're putting politicians in the position whereby
    it's open season. It becomes standard that politicians get lobbied for
    individual drugs and that's a terrible position to be because
    politicians are the last people we want picking drugs for us."

    More staff including nurses and doctors and other resources would also
    be required because once the drugs were bought it would be the largest
    number ever dropped into the health sector at the same time.

    Professor Jackson said he had contacted both Prime Minister
    Christopher Luxon and Reti but had not had any response so far. "

    _________________________
    National - putting politics ahead of New Zealanders health. Shame on
    them.
    Shame on you for your lies and support of the last government that actively >> destroyed lives.
    There is so much money and that is all - sad but true, however you only believe
    that when Labour are in command.

    I'm not sure how Labour is relevant here? This isn't about Labour -
    they're not in charge anymore. And if you're going to claim lies it
    would be helpful to other readers if you pointed out what specifically
    you believe to be a lie. I don't see any obvious lies in the quoted
    text.

    National has promised that which they should not have promised, and then >failed to deliver destroying the hopes of people whose lives depend on
    that promise being fulfilled.

    National made a mistake and it's as simple as that.

    As for funding: perhaps National should have prioritised the money they
    *do* have better. Instead of breaking their promise to cancer patients,
    they could have broken their promise to property investors. They did
    have choices here.

    Would "The Herald" lie?
    https://x.com/rodemmerson/status/1799197703391613351

    and also relevant to another thread: https://x.com/rugbyintel/status/1803478848987865317

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Tony@21:1/5 to David Goodwin on Thu Jun 20 02:29:36 2024
    David Goodwin <[email protected]> wrote:
    In article <[email protected]>, [email protected]
    says...

    Rich80105 <[email protected]> wrote:
    National are still fighting against doing what is in the best
    interests of New Zealanders - see


    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/520023/politicians-the-last-people-we-want-picking-drugs-for-us-cancer-expert-says

    "Health Minister Shane Reti's hard line around funding 13 new cancer
    treatments is a "lose-lose" for patients, oncologist Chris Jackson
    says.

    On the campaign trail, National promised to fund the drugs that had
    been highlighted in a Cancer Control Agency Report about the medicine
    gap in Aotearoa; Professor Jackson was one of the authors.

    But despite Reti submitting a funding bid the treatments were not
    included in the Budget prompting a public outcry.

    At a select committee hearing on Tuesday Dr Reti doubled down on
    National's promise, saying it would fund the specified drugs.

    Professor Jackson said the drugs were put on the list three years ago
    and treatments had moved on.

    A new list would be "meaningfully different", he said, and would
    prevent a significant number of people, such as those with blood
    cancer, missing out.

    If the government persisted, better drugs would miss out and drug
    companies would be able to charge "top dollar" for the named drugs.

    National had bought itself a political problem by promising named
    drugs to cancer sufferers.

    The best option would be to give Pharmac set funding for cancer
    treatments.

    "A better way out of this would be for National to say we promise
    everyone who had a drug on the list they will get the same or better
    which would give the experts a chance to come up with a newer list."

    It would also mean the drug companies would have to compete against
    other which was better for taxpayers and those with cancer would gain
    access to much more modern treatments.

    While the minister was maintaining that the experts had chosen the
    list, Professor Jackson said the experts were now calling for the list
    to be redone.

    "Hear what we're saying now which is redo the list."

    National's current list contained no drugs to treat breast, prostate
    and blood cancers and only one for colon cancer and it was not the
    best one available now.

    For bowel cancer there was now a drug and immune therapy available
    which cured 40 to 60 percent of those with metastatic disease while
    for melanoma there was a treatment which was working for half of
    patients with secondary brain cancers.

    "So if we go ahead with this dogged policy we're going to be in a
    lose-lose situation because the best drugs won't get across the line
    and we'll be paying top dollar."

    He was adamant that the government was undermining Pharmac by naming
    drugs that would be purchased.

    Pharmac should be in charge of making the decisions, he said.

    "By picking winners we're putting politicians in the position whereby
    it's open season. It becomes standard that politicians get lobbied for
    individual drugs and that's a terrible position to be because
    politicians are the last people we want picking drugs for us."

    More staff including nurses and doctors and other resources would also
    be required because once the drugs were bought it would be the largest
    number ever dropped into the health sector at the same time.

    Professor Jackson said he had contacted both Prime Minister
    Christopher Luxon and Reti but had not had any response so far. "

    _________________________
    National - putting politics ahead of New Zealanders health. Shame on
    them.
    Shame on you for your lies and support of the last government that actively >> destroyed lives.
    There is so much money and that is all - sad but true, however you only >>believe
    that when Labour are in command.

    I'm not sure how Labour is relevant here? This isn't about Labour -
    they're not in charge anymore. And if you're going to claim lies it
    would be helpful to other readers if you pointed out what specifically
    you believe to be a lie. I don't see any obvious lies in the quoted
    text.
    I was referring to the litany of lies that Rich has spewed here for about 2 decades, and Labour failed to deliver far more than this government has.

    National has promised that which they should not have promised, and then >failed to deliver destroying the hopes of people whose lives depend on
    that promise being fulfilled.

    National made a mistake and it's as simple as that.

    As for funding: perhaps National should have prioritised the money they
    *do* have better. Instead of breaking their promise to cancer patients,
    they could have broken their promise to property investors. They did
    have choices here.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)