Asda announces cancer drugs available at cost
Popular UK grocer Asda said it will begin selling cancer drugs as a not-for-profit item. The move will amp up competition with other UK retailers that have pharmacy chains and push further into debates over access to prescription medicines.
The decision from British’s second largest supermarket giant comes in the wake of its decision two months ago to begin selling fertility medication at cost. Asda, owned by US supermarket leader Wal-Mart, said Thursday that it aimed to make treatment for cancer patients more affordable.
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the UK, with nearly 300,000 individuals being diagnosed each year. Asda said that for many cost of treatments were unaffordable. As part of its new committment, prescription drug Iressa, for the treatment of lung cancer, will be 2,167.71 pounds, which is 400 pounds less than other retailers such as Boots, Lloyds, and Superdrug.
After the statement, both Tesco and Sainsbury’s announced they would match Asda’s price for the cancer drugs. The debate over access to cancer drugs has become quite controversial in Britain. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said that a variety of cancer treatment products are too expensive to allow for prescriptions from the state health service.
The ruling has left many British cancer patients out-in-the cold for ways to fund their treatment. However, in 2008 the government said it had plans to allow for private payments for cancer as well as other costly drugs via the National Health Service.