Clearing the air: towards agreement about access to high cost cancer medicines

Abstract

Oncologists have an important role to play in debates about access to high cost cancer medicines. But in order for oncologists to be able to fulfil this role they need to have a solid understanding of the contexts of debates about access to high cost medicines, of the parameters that everyone can agree upon, and of the points of disagreement that need to be resolved. In this article, we offer a conceptual framework that oncologists (and other stakeholders) could use to guide more focused, systematic and ultimately mutually beneficial discussions about the subsidization of high cost cancer medicines.