[hutchibk]

Hi Caya, respectfully, that was not the conversation that Rich was having. He was talking about the lag time to access.

There are also often questions about whether access will ever be available through some national health services due to cost/benefit ratios and how much of the $$ pie can be dedicated to it... as I understand it, it has not been approved in the UK for wide access, nor in Japan as he mentioned.

I have my views and you have yours. Respectfully again, please discontinue highlighting me to make your argument, especially to insinuate that I might be an ogre who doesn't believe it should be available to everyone without hassle. That is unfair and disingenuous.

I have done some pretty extensive personal research about how complex it is to transform health systems, so I am well versed in how emotional the subject is. I know how financially fragile and controversial health systems around the world are in all countries, including Canada. You will not convince me that the system in your country is the appropriate system for our country. Your system works for you, you live there and have grown accustomed to it your whole life. I am happy you have a system that works for you and you have the treatment that you desire. I too have had everything I need and desire and have had the highest quality of doctors and treatments I could ever hope for. I was also a very responsible individual who always made having insurance a priority. I never thought of it as a right or a entitlement, it is my responsibility. I still feel that way. However, I do believe that our insurance system and processes have become extremely unbalanced and out of whack, it is upside down and the consumer is on the wrong end of it. I believe much of it can be corrected without rushing toward nationalizing it in the fashion that some countries have.

For the record, GSK makes Tykerb very readily available. If you don't have appropriate insurance coverage you can get it through their access program, you just have to apply and qualify for it, which is fairly simple to do.

Thanks for your post Diana. I am not looking for a fight from anyone, and I hope I don't offend, either. I just have a very pragmatic and ever evolving view about it.