Posted by Michael Wonder on 13 Sep 2018
Dying cancer patients refused PHARMAC funding
13 September 2018 - Dying patients who suffer a rare reaction to chemotherapy are having to pay for their own drugs because their cases are not considered exceptional.
A 50-year-old Auckland woman, Patricia Tear, a sole caregiver to children aged 9 and 11, was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year.
She had surgery followed by chemo but suffered from cardio-toxicity from the chemo drug, known as 5-FU. It recurred in a second attempt and doctors decided it was too risky to repeat. Instead they applied to drug-buyer PHARMAC for access under an exceptional circumstances scheme to an alternative, unfunded drug - raltitrexed, brand name Tomudex.
