What we have begun to see is a geographical division in the availability of care packages dependant on your address
Cost effectiveness. It’s one of those phrases that gets thrown around boardrooms and political debates like it really has a much deeper meaning, but the reality is that it has become a half-hearted excuse which is overused by numerous industries across the globe. In some cases it is used to justify job cuts for the worker drones with the sole purpose of fattening the pockets of the already wealthy elite; in other situations we have started to see a much harsher application of the term in the realm of healthcare. In all honesty, we need to ask ourselves just how much is a decent standard of living worth?
Surely the Earth’s respective governments would save incalculable amounts of money by allowing people to grow their own medication, subsequently this money could be reinvested into education, welfare and job creation instead. Research has shown that marijuana enables some people to experience a standard of living which they thought they would never have again and this, in turn, could lead to a reduced number of people depending on the state for support due to their condition. We all know that prohibition doesn’t work, but at least there’s still hope for progress. Whilst we wait for the day to come when we can all take care of ourselves, we are left to the mercy of cold, heartless accountants.
In my humble opinion, everyone is entitled to receive any medication which may help them deal with their condition and provide relief and respite in times of need. Our modern world has seen countless scientific breakthroughs at a rate which was unimaginable only a few short years ago and we are now in a situation where the potential for treatment should be available to all without question of what it may ‘cost’. Sadly, the reality is never quite the same as the ideology and there is a huge market for profit to be made from subduing our suffering. In the US, private healthcare companies are quick to deny a patient expensive treatments should they believe that the individual is not in desperate need or if they have not signed off its use following years of trials (or if you simply stumble through one of their innumerate legal loopholes). Consequently, countless patients find themselves in a state of limbo. Despite the knowledge that a suitable treatment exists, people are left to fend for themselves as treatment is either refused outright or replaced with a less effective (but more cost-effective) brand of tablet.
Head over to the UK and the once glorious NHS is now coming under fire for its unclear policy regarding certain treatments, including the breakthrough cannabis-based Sativex spray. Despite the benefits reported by countless patients, certain health bodies in England have refused to prescribe it because they don’t believe it to be cost-effective. As this is a particular medicine of great interest to myself (my partner has Multiple Sclerosis) I have done some investigation and found that the average cost of purchasing the medicine privately is somewhere in the region of £3000. Not exactly breaking the bank. What makes it harder to swallow is that this kind of accounting neglects to consider the bigger picture as it focuses only on the short term cost.
If the decision was made to dismiss Sativex as not fit for purpose then I could understand their desire to not invest, but this is not the case. What we have begun to see is a geographical division in the availability of care packages dependant on your address – even people who live in close proximity to each other might find that their respective doctors prescribe entirely different medicines for similar ailments. How is that fair? Why should one person be given a medicine which has little-to-no side effects whilst the other has to run the gauntlet of chemicals? Have you looked at the possible side effects of an over-the-counter medicine recently? Now multiply that list by ten and increase the chances of horrendous consequences by infinity. Why is it that Sativex is truly a much better option? Well, I don’t think I really need to spell it out for you, do I?
Amazingly, the Welsh branch of the NHS have made a bold move by taking a stand for the greater good and declaring that Sativex will be made available to any patient whose GP deems it appropriate. The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) recently approved the cannabis-based oral spray for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to help reduce muscle spasticity and alleviate the associated symptoms of someone who suffers from a severe relapse or extended episode and especially for those people who suffer from the condition’s afflictions on a day-to-day basis. I feel that I must take time to commend all those involved in making this happen, but especially those involved with the work of The MS Society who have praised the Welsh stance on this matter. Strangely enough, the clinical guidelines for the use of Sativex across all of England and Wales were recently rejected due to its cost-effectiveness but the financial analysis is alleged to have been carried out inefficiently and thus provided anomalous results. Take into consideration the number of people who are currently diagnosed with MS and the Welsh breakthrough could prove to hugely significant. Almost 150,000 people in the UK and 400,000 people in the US have MS. Worldwide the number is over 2.5million. 2.5million people who might not be able to receive this medicine because of bureaucracy and red tape. Truly mind-boggling.
With the growing trend of legalization, innumerate patients now have a very real chance of breaking away from the endless chain of repeat prescriptions, invasive tests and countless repeat explanations: marijuana is a real medicine. Not like so many other manufactured chemical compounds and compositions which adorn the pharmacy shelves. If it grows in the ground and it’s good for our health, it’s madness to keep it forbidden. If we can use it to make medicine which works then it should find its way to those who need it most. Sadly, as the world of science finally begins to accept the true potential of marijuana and what it can potentially do for us all, my biggest worry is that our collective standard of living will be determined by the wrong kind of green.
Sources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-28810407
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-29125957
Originally published in Weed World Magazine Issue 114
