Sir, – We support the calls of patients suffering from cancer to receive the best available treatment (“Laya refused cover for new therapies for more than 20 cancer patients last year”, News, May 30th).
However, we would extend this call beyond the payers (insurance companies and the HSE) and would also call upon the pharmaceutical industry to lower the price of their drugs.
Unfortunately there are no limits to the price a pharmaceutical company can charge for a drug and this results in exorbitant prices well beyond the reach of many patients, insurance companies or even governments.
As long as monopoly control of new medicines is placed in the hands of private industry, shareholders rather than public interest will determine the affordability of drugs. – Yours, etc,
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Dr KIERAN HARKIN,
Access to Medicines Ireland,
Comhlámh,
Dublin 2.