Closing the medicine gap
Charlotte has worked hard to change this reality, advocating alongside Rachel Smalley, former TV journalist and co-founder of The Medicine Gap campaign, to address the critical underfunding by Pharmac, New Zealand’s drug-buying agency, of drugs that can save and prolong lives. She openly shared her personal story as part of this campaign in November 2021.
Among the many women (and some men) living with metastatic and incurable breast cancer in New Zealand and around the world, Charlotte is one of the lucky ones. She has medical insurance and can afford life-prolonging treatment, while others struggle to afford a visit to their GP or primary care provider. Through her experience with different health systems Charlotte has gained a powerful perspective on the gaps in New Zealand’s healthcare access and how to create a fairer system for those who can’t afford to fight for their lives.
Charlotte undertakes deeply personal work with Sweet Louise, New Zealand’s charity to support people with metastatic breast cancer. As a supporter she personally provides funds to the programme to provide care vouchers to women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. This work helps the charity secure the funding it needs to research and continue to develop programmes which support all age groups, recognising the membership is getting younger.
“Ibrance is not just any drug – it is the gold standard in advanced (metastatic) breast cancer treatment internationally and has the ability to stop or slow down the progression of the disease. It is not a cure but it will prolong my life, as it has done for thousands of New Zealand women and many more around the world.”
— Charlotte