Accessing Unfunded Cancer Drugs in Publicly Funded Hospitals

In public health-care systems, the decision whether to provide coverage for a medication is usually made on the basis of clinical effectiveness and cost. New cancer drugs are often very expensive, making it difficult to meet cost-effectiveness criteria even when they do provide health benefits. Denying coverage for cancer drugs that might improve quality of life or lengthen survival raises difficult questions for public health-care programmes. Should patients be able to pay for these drugs on their own? How should drugs that are paid for privately be made available within health-care systems that are predominantly publicly financed?