| Distributive justice concerns the equitable distribution | | | | individuals can afford these drugs. Medicare and |
| of scarce resources among all socioeconomic groups | | | | Medicaid cover prescriptions for Avastin and Erbitux, |
| and population sectors. The question of distributive | | | | for example, but copayment costs frequently put |
| justice is a key ethical consideration in all aspects of | | | | such medications out of reach for many. Those who |
| medical care, including assisted reproductive | | | | are uninsured, of course, cannot even consider taking |
| techniques and reproductive genetics. | | | | on the costs of these cancer therapeutics. |
| Access to cancer pharmaceuticals are a prime | | | | If we are an ethical society, concerns about |
| example of violations of distributive justice. These | | | | distributive justice extend to those living beyond our |
| drugs typically cost tens of thousands of dollars a | | | | shores. Treatment for HIV/AIDS presents a classical |
| year. Some costs are stratospherically high. A new | | | | example of ongoing violations of distributive justice. |
| drug, Folotyn, manufactured by Allos Therapeutics, is | | | | For instance, sells a 90-day supply of Atripla for |
| projected to cost about $30,000 per month.(1) | | | | $4937 (less than $1650 per month), an inconceivable |
| Remarkably, Folotyn hasn't been shown to prolong | | | | cost for persons living on less than $2 per day. |
| lives - its effect is to shrink the tumors caused by | | | | Although steep discounts are provided by |
| peripheral T cell lymphoma, a rare disease affecting | | | | manufacturers for those living in developing nations, |
| 5000-6000 Americans each year. | | | | even a cost of $1 a day (the price for many |
| Erbitux, used in the treatment of colon cancer, costs | | | | generics) is much too high. To a great extent, the |
| approximately $10,000 per month. Avastin costs | | | | HIV/AIDS pandemic persists owing to the lack of |
| almost $100,000 per year when used to treat lung | | | | availability of appropriate medication. Global |
| cancer or breast cancer. | | | | pharmaceutical corporations receive hundreds of |
| Society as a whole bears the burden of these | | | | billions of dollars in annual revenues. They have the |
| enormous expenditures, reflected in annual increases | | | | capability of providing medications at a de facto pro |
| of 10% or greater in health care insurance premiums. | | | | bono rate to developing nations. Distributive justice |
| In essence, every taxpayer in the United States is | | | | requires they engage in such activities. |
| helping to maintain the profit margins of the | | | | As we'll explore in our next article, access to assisted |
| pharmaceutical companies that impose such high | | | | reproductive techniques is similarly affected by |
| prices. | | | | inequitable distribution of services. |
| In terms of distributive justice, cancer medications | | | | (1) Pollack A: Questioning a $30,000-per-month cancer |
| are simply not available to those who can't afford | | | | drug. |
| them. At costs of $10,000 per month, very few | | | | |