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How does the operation of PHARMAC's 'Community Exceptional ...

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The first two test-questions covered <strong>the</strong> position <strong>of</strong> justice for <strong>the</strong> least<br />

advantaged, <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> equality <strong>of</strong> access to all and <strong>the</strong> openness and<br />

accountability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> persons or <strong>of</strong>fices making decisions. The second two test-<br />

questions <strong>of</strong>fered scrutiny <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> efficiency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> distribution, procedural<br />

fairness at establishing efficiency and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> consequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> decision on<br />

people’s ability to achieve that which <strong>the</strong>y value.<br />

An Example to Illustrate <strong>the</strong> ‘Test-Questions’<br />

In this section, I illustrate <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se test-questions in <strong>the</strong> recent case <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> MidCentral DHB’s explicit rationing <strong>of</strong> chemo<strong>the</strong>rapy treatment for selected<br />

cancer patients.<br />

On 6 January 2011 a letter was written by <strong>the</strong> Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ken<br />

Clark on behalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Regional Cancer Treatment Service provided by<br />

MidCentral DHB. The service for cancer patients covered a population <strong>of</strong><br />

555,000 people over a catchment area which included Gisborne (Tairawhiti),<br />

Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Whanganui and Wairarapa. I obtained <strong>the</strong> letter by<br />

requesting it under <strong>the</strong> OIA.<br />

In this letter Dr. Clark advised <strong>the</strong> health managers and Chief Medical Officers<br />

that <strong>the</strong> MidCentral DHB Regional Cancer Treatment Service was suffering<br />

from intractable recruitment problems and was unable to fill two doctor<br />

vacancies on <strong>the</strong> oncology team. For this reason, by consensus, <strong>the</strong> Regional<br />

Cancer Treatment Service implemented a new prioritisation strategy. I quote<br />

from <strong>the</strong> letter:<br />

… which involves a rigorous triaging <strong>of</strong> referrals with a view to declining<br />

referrals <strong>of</strong> patients for whom <strong>the</strong>re are very limited <strong>the</strong>rapeutic benefits<br />

from <strong>the</strong> provision <strong>of</strong> chemo<strong>the</strong>rapy. By consensus we have developed a<br />

list <strong>of</strong> clinical presentations for which we will decline referrals.<br />

(Clark, 2011)<br />

The list <strong>of</strong> conditions which would not be treated with chemo<strong>the</strong>rapy included all<br />

prostate cancers, all melanomas, all s<strong>of</strong>t tissue sarcomas, several o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

cancers and conditions in which <strong>the</strong> patient had been treated by chemo<strong>the</strong>rapy<br />

and was in relapse.<br />

73

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