Yet another neoliberal right-winger gnawing at the shins of a government agency that is tasked with helping the New Zealand people stay healthy, in part by limiting the corrupting power and influence of big pharma and corporate interests on medical questions of patient safety, affordability, and public health.
Economist Peter Crampton says Medsafe, the medical experts who keep us safe from ineffective treatments, harmful medications, and costly me-too drugs, should immediately approve any drug that is approved by two other ‘trusted’ countries’ pharmaceutical approval agencies.
No, how about we don’t do that. New Zealand’s Medsafe takes the zany approach that their medical experts should take some time to examine the evidence. Crampton gives them up to two days. FFS. They should take the time they need to analyse studies and do what is right for the NZ public. Having worked as a doctor in several international health systems, I have more trust for Medsafe doing the right thing than I have for Crampton’s economic wrecking crew looking after the public interest.
Why wouldn’t we want to put all our faith into a “better resourced” medication approval agency, like the USA’s? Because (like the USA’s) that agency might be so bought out by corporate big Pharma, or so manipulated by politicians and lobbyists, that it deserves more than a 48-hour analysis or a knee-jerk approval.
It’s boggles the mind that this economist, from the ‘free-market at any cost’, race-to-the-bottom ‘New Zealand Initiative’, doesn’t know better.
Perhaps he could find a more skilled economist, from a “better resourced” nation, to write his political pundit opinions for him.
According to his logic, they should be able to do a better, more capable job of it than he can, and much more faster. Maybe even within 48 hours.
Dr Gary Payinda 