It is going on the third month that I have been dealing with the effects of the Amikacin drug shortage in the US. As a result I spent 4 weeks trying and failing both 2nd and 3rd line IV antibiotics for the treatment of my Mycobacterium Absessuss. The national media has finally picked up on this story. Here's an article my friend Marci posted on Facebook earlier today.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39798646/ns/health-health_care
I am one of the people whose treatment is dependent on drugs we have no way to obtain. My hospital did receive a shipment last week. The first shipment they have received of Amikacin in many months. However, we haven't been able to find a way to get the medication to the Home Care company to administer to me. People WILL die as a result of these shortages. People's cancer will not go into remission or they will relapse. People with MA will sustain permanent lung damage. The article reports that a couple of patients already died as a result of a morphine shortage.
I really don't want to get political, but I have been living this for several months and it's infuriating! We are supposed to have the best health care system in the world... However, these drugs, which are all very cheap to consumers, are not being produced, because there is not enough of an incentive for the drug companies. These drugs don't make the companies enough money to be a priority. This is rationing of care. Unfortunately, our system based on profit has decided that my care is OK to ration.
5 comments:
that is utterly ridiculous!
I'm in the UK and have never had a problem getting drugs and have never heard of anyone else having proglems obtaining them either.
I find it seriously difficult to believe that the US has the best healthcare in the world and it's things like this that make me think this way
really sorry you're still having to go through this, and I hope you manage to get the right treatment as soon as possible *hugs*
the only people who think the US has "the best healthcare system in the world" are US citizens. everyone else seems to have caught on that it's BS. the world health organization (WHO) ranks healthcare systems. france is #1, followed by italy and san morino. the US is ranked 37th. we've been down there for a while now, but of course you never hear about it. we're below malta, singapore, iceland, and colombia. it's very sad that national pride has actually kept us from acknowledging a problem and dealing with it.
on another note, i hope you can get access to the drug soon!
Ruth & Piper -
I sooooo agree! I just don't see how people think that our system is the best. I learned first hand when I had to do without insurance for nearly 2 years through graduate school. I had NO options to get insured. I was scared to death of getting sick. It could have financially devistated me for life. I just don't understand how people can think that our system doesn't/didn't need reformed. Grr!
Stacey
Wow, this IS infuriating! Im mad for you!
Well, that really stinks!!! Anyway, you are right if Big Pharma doesn't make the bucks they don't care if you get the meds and that is really sad.
Post a Comment