Question: Why are some drugs available to only the rich?

Kit T answered on 7 Nov 2017:

This is a very good question and not an easy one to answer! It’s quite complicated and you could debate the pros and cons of different systems a lot. This is my understanding put simply, but there is more to it:

In the UK, the NHS means everyone receives treatment based on what they need, not on their ability to pay for it. Not many countries have a system like it and it’s arguably one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
Unfortunately, there are some exceptions to the rule and they are often controversial topics you hear about in the news. In England local committees or CCGs the job of funding hospitals, GPs, social care, medicines and operations in their area from a set amount of money each year from the government. For example, if a heart operation costs £5,000 and a new cancer drug costs £20,000, you could treat four people with a heart condition for the price of one person with cancer. It can sound heartless, but the committee has to decide whether to improve the health of four people or one person, so chooses to help the most people. The evidence behind the chances of a treatment being effective are also taken into account. This is the reason why the NHS does not fund some very expensive or experimental treatments. It’s also the reason why some treatments are available in some areas and not others, as committees spend their money according to the different health problems in their area. It’s a very difficult subject and, if current financial pressures continue in the NHS, will unfortunately become more common.

In the UK people can pay for extra private healthcare if they can afford it, and that’s up to them. This is different to some countries like the USA where poorer people are unable to access even the most basic healthcare and medicines, which raises big moral and ethical questions.