{"articles":[{"reaction_config":[{"icon":"excited","color":"#EE4950","stance":"excited"},{"icon":"happy","color":"#EDB723","stance":"happy"},{"icon":"apathetic","color":"#3AB093","stance":"apathetic"},{"icon":"sad","color":"#5ACDED","stance":"sad"},{"icon":"angry","color":"#624960","stance":"angry"}],"id":44618,"title":"Should Pharmaceutical Companies Be Required to Guarantee Access to Their Products?","html_content":"

by Causes | 6.1.20

What's the story?

Increased demand for drugs to treat COVID-19 - and drugs being tested against COVID-19 - are making it difficult for patients who rely on certain medications to access necessary treatments.
\nDrug manufacturing is also at risk since much of it takes in place in China, the first country to be hit by COVID-19, and India, whose COVID-19 caseload continues to rise

Possible shortages

Spikes in demand and hoarding are creating shortages of drugs — such as hydroxychloroquine — which are being investigated for use in COVID-19 patients.
Elevated demand for drugs (including antibiotics, antivirals, and sedatives) used to keep COVID-19 patients' airways open has nearly tripled demand for antibiotics such as azithromycin, antiviral medications such as ribavirin, and sedation and pain management medications such as fentanyl, midazolam, and propofol.

Patients struggling to obtain necessary therapies

Elevated demand for hydroxychloroquine inis particularly concerning for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and lupus.

The Arthritis Foundation sent a letter on medication access to Congressional leaders, urging them to address issues that people with chronic illnesses may face as the U.S. combats COVID-19.
The Arthritis Foundation, along with the Lupus Foundation of America, the American College of Rheumatology, and the American Academy of Dermatology sent a letter to members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and state governors urging them to ensure hydroxychloroquine access for RA and lupus patients.

What do you think?

What obligations should drugmakers have to ensure patients' access to therapies during public-health emergencies? Take action above and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.

—Lorelei Yang

(Image Credit: iStockphoto.com / apomares)

","image_urls":{"large":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/NZaEe7vZ/1f8677/iStock-1153740646.jpg","medium":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/NZaEe7vZ/1f8677/iStock-1153740646.jpg","small":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/NZaEe7vZ/1f8677/iStock-1153740646.jpg","thumb":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/NZaEe7vZ/1f8677/iStock-1153740646.jpg","xsmall":"https://ul.countable.us/ul/q_auto/uploads/NZaEe7vZ/1f8677/iStock-1153740646.jpg"},"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/articles/44618-pharmaceutical-companies-required-guarantee-access-products","article_comments":"https://www.causes.com/api/articles/44618-pharmaceutical-companies-required-guarantee-access-products/comments"},"comment_count":94,"action_count":873,"cta_prompt":"Do drug companies have an obligation to ensure patients' access to treatment during pandemics?","cta_type":"reactions","share_count":5,"published_at":"2020-06-01T21:09:40.939Z","is_countable_article":true,"allow_advocacy":true,"profile_id":1,"signed":false,"signatures_count":null,"signatures_goal":100,"signable_progress":0,"video_url":null,"video_dimensions":null,"video_aspect_ratio":null}],"users":[{"name":"J","vote_count":1465,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/default-2.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/49Nbdk9r/following","followers":"/api/users/49Nbdk9r/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":5,"is_following":null,"influence_score":680,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":16,"following_count":1,"position_count":792,"id":"49Nbdk9r","partner_id":null},{"name":"KansasTamale","vote_count":1277,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D02Xp9/large_w9d02xp9-1488412603.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D02Xp9/small_w9d02xp9-1488412603.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/w9D02Xp9/tiny_w9d02xp9-1488412603.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10208548501695725/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/w9D02Xp9/following","followers":"/api/users/w9D02Xp9/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"kansastamale","issue_count":28,"is_following":null,"influence_score":8540,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":148,"following_count":71,"position_count":1205,"id":"w9D02Xp9","partner_id":null},{"name":"jimK","vote_count":567,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/large_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/small_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/9odrQBnb/tiny_9odrqbnb-1557000969.jpg"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/following","followers":"/api/users/9odrQBnb/followers"},"about_me":"Retired, Politically Independent. Won’t listen to slogans, chanted mantras or generally any kind of marketing spin or “rebranding” crap. I firmly believe that everyone else is entitled to their erroneous opinions. Citizen vigilance and due diligence is price we must pay to live in a thriving, functional democracy.\nI fear that our citizens are too easily swayed by politician’s pablum about “babies”, “jobs” and now, in particular, perceived “enemies”. I fear that a citizenry focused on the “here-and-now” is easily tricked by short term benefits that have negative long-term consequences. I fear that our legislators are more concerned about buffing their constituents than looking out for the long-term welfare of our country- and are way too eager to provide those short-term benefits to the “here-and-now” crowd.\nI fear that honor is generally being sacrificed/replaced by expediency. I hear politicians eloquently argue for one side of an issue and later, when it’s to their benefit, just as eloquently argue for the opposite side. OK, so they are good at arguing- but what is that they actually believe? What is it that they actually stand for? An honorable person has values that persist even when it is not convenient or expedient. An honorable person has a moral compass that stops them from doing something wrong even if it is not illegal. A foul is a foul- even if the referee doesn’t catch you.\nI fear that each of our federal governmental branches have devised or discovered shortcuts which tend to protect them from the checks and balances our founders intended.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"jimk","issue_count":4,"is_following":null,"influence_score":48180,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1632,"following_count":88,"position_count":563,"id":"9odrQBnb","partner_id":null}],"article_comment":{"flagged":false,"id":1268825,"body":"Absolutely. If we don’t live,they won’t exist.","parent_type":"Article","parent_id":44618,"created_at":"2020-06-02T19:34:07.752Z","liked":false,"like_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/comments/1268825","likers":"https://www.causes.com/api/v1/likers?likeable_id=1268825&likeable_type=Comment"},"article_id":44618,"shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/comments/1268825.png","note":{"icon":"apathetic","color":"#3AB093","stance":"apathetic"},"note_text":"Apathetic","note_color":"#3AB093","user_id":"49Nbdk9r","liker_ids":["w9D02Xp9","9odrQBnb"]}}

Like Causes?

Comment Liked by 2 Users