The news this week that hospitals face a shortage of the drug methotrexate to treat a form of childhood leukemia sent chills down my spine. Imagine being the parent of a child ill with this disease and learning that, here in the United States, we don't produce enough of this curative drug. You'd think that you were living in a developing country, not in the richest nation in the world.
When I hear stories like this, I feel confirmed in my belief that our nation has its values turned upside-down. If there's one thing we should be able to do well, it is to take care of our sick citizens, especially our children. We have the best research institutions in the world, devoted doctors and nurses with access to the highest-quality equipment, a long-standing tradition of manufacturing, and pharmaceutical companies raking in huge sums of money. Surely this combination of talent and wealth should produce life-saving drugs.
Yet 287 drugs are currently in short supply.
The horror stories are forcing Washington to pay attention, and some effective measures have been implemented. Still, we should demand better for ourselves and for our fellow citizens around the world. Most of us would agree that our family's health is what's most important. Can't we demand that our leaders and institutions follow suit?
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I would hope so, but who knows with these people now having hearings on contraception, of all things.Yes, this problem with the drug for leukemia is almost unpardonable.
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