[orthodoc]

It would appear obvious, here, to champion a system like that in Canada over the 'business first' American one. Unfortunately, getting new drugs past multiple bureaucratic committees that are trying to manage capped global health budgets means that Canadians often wait longer for new drugs. This happened with tamoxifen long after it was standard treatment in the US.

I don't know that there's a good answer. I'd think that pharm companies conducting clinical trials would at least want to have enough of their new drug available to give the study statistical significance, but stranger things have happened. And not all new 'miracle drugs' end up fulfilling their promise by any means.

I am still very relieved to have been here for my cancer treatment rather than in my native country. Which is not to say that everything is better here or worse there. But for imminently life-threatening issues I'm glad to be here.