美國這種救命葯價格飆升，市民開車去加拿大瘋狂搶購
Americans driving to Canada for cheaper insulin as prices skyrocket
因為價格飆升，美國人開車去加拿大購買更便宜的胰島素
來源：獨立報 翻譯：世界播
"I almost felt like I was robbing the pharmacy," says Minnesota woman
明尼蘇達州一位女士說：「我幾乎覺得自己是在搶劫藥店。」
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As insulin prices soar to new heights, some Americans have decided to cross the Canadian border to obtain cheaper medication.
隨著胰島素價格飆升至新高，有的美國人決定跨越加拿大邊境，去購買更便宜的藥物。
People from Minnesota who are part of the #Insulin4All initiative organised a "Caravan to Canada", driving five hours to purchase insulin for $30 (￡23) a vial rather than the $300 they would pay in the US.
參與「#Insulin4All」倡議的明尼蘇達州人組織了一場「去加拿大的車隊」活動，他們驅車5個小時去往加拿大，為了以30美元（23英鎊）一瓶的價格買到胰島素，而在美國胰島素要300美元一瓶。
Nicole Smith-Holt, whose son Alec Raeshawn Smith had type 1 diabetes and died as he could not afford insulin after becoming too old to use his parents" insurance, told The Independent she accompanied the group in his memory.
妮可·史密斯·霍爾特的兒子亞歷克·雷肖恩·史密斯患有1型糖尿病，由於其年紀太大無法使用父母的保險後因買不起胰島素而去世。
She said: 「My trip to Canada was in memory of Alec. If I had known that it was perfectly legal to purchase and bring back to the US, I would have made the trip two years ago when he had no insurance and was facing a bill of $1,300 (￡1,000) a month for insulin and supplies.」
她說：「我去加拿大是為了紀念亞歷克。如果我知道從外面購買藥物帶回美國是完全合法的，我就會在兩年前踏上這條路，當時他沒有保險，每月要支付1300美元（1000英鎊）的胰島素和補給品賬單。」
Insulin, a hormone type 1 diabetics need to survive, is what regulates blood sugar and converts glucose to a form of usable energy for the human body.
胰島素是1型糖尿病患者生存所需的一種激素，它能調節血糖，將葡萄糖轉化為人體可用的能量。
Quinn Nystrom, one of the women involved with Caravan to Canada, told CBC: 「I almost felt walking out of that pharmacy like I was robbing the pharmacy. I just couldn』t believe it.」
奎因·尼斯特羅姆是參與「去加拿大的車隊」行動的女性之一，她接受加拿大廣播公司採訪時說，「我走出藥店時幾乎覺得自己是在搶劫一樣。我簡直不敢相信。」
On their journey, Ms Nystrom was concerned about Border Patrol agents confiscating her prescription or the bottles of insulin she and the others involved had obtained, but the group ran into no problems.
在旅途中，尼斯特羅姆女士擔心邊境巡邏人員會沒收她的處方或她和其他相關人員獲得的胰島素瓶，但她們沒有遇到任何問題。
Insulin prices in the US have skyrocketed, but the phenomenon does not exist in Canada where the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board restricts how much a company can charge for patented medicines.
美國的胰島素價格飛漲，但加拿大卻沒有這種現象，加拿大的專利藥品價格審查委員會限制了一家公司對專利藥品的收費。
Currently there are 26 #Insulin4all state chapters who serve as 「volunteer grassroots advocates」 taking action at the state and federal levels.
目前有26 個「#Insulin4All」倡議的州分會，它們作為「志願基層倡議者」在州和聯邦層面採取行動。
Ms Holt-Smith added: 「A trip to any other country to make that purchase would have saved his life and would have been completely affordable and absolutely legal. Unfortunately I was under the impression that it was not legal and it would be confiscated.
史密斯·霍爾特女士補充說：「去任何其他國家購買藥品都可以挽救他的生命，而且價格完全合理，絕對合法。不幸的是，我原本以為這是不合法的，會被沒收。」
"I would like to let people know that this is an option, if they can』t afford their life-sustaining medications here in the US and if they have a passport and the ability to travel outside the US they should consider this.」
「我想讓人們知道，這是有選擇的，如果他們在美國負擔不起維持生命的藥物，如果他們有護照，有能力到美國以外的國家去，他們應該考慮用這個辦法。」
She said she believed her son would have survived if the US market were better regulated.
她表示，如果美國市場得到了更好的監管，她的兒子就會活下來了。
TAG:世界播 |