Letter: Alzheimer’s patients need access to drugs

Your editorial, “How to keep up as Hawaii get older” (Star-Advertiser, Our View, May 31), needed to focus attention on the more than 6 million Americans who are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including nearly 29,000 in Hawaii. As an Alzheimer’s Association Hawaii Chapter advocate, it is my honor to represent them.

As a caregiver, I understand firsthand the impact of this disease on families across America. The people of Hawaii need U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono to call for a reversal of the federal government decision to deny people living with Alzheimer’s access to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs.

I urged Hirono to show the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services her support for access now. Every day without access to FDA-approved drugs, more than 2,000 people transition to a more advanced stage of Alzheimer’s.

Hirono can malama the constituents by being a strong advocate in Washington. Our kupuna deserve representation now.

Calvin Hara

Kaimuki

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