Nine To Noon Aiming at a Pacific-wide drug-buying club
Mar 19, 2026
Hazel Heal, a long-term hepatitis C patient turned campaigner who helped set up buyer's-club access to generics, shares her journey from emergency treatment to advocacy. She explains how buyer's clubs and legal import rules enable affordable medicines. She outlines Pacific testing campaigns, expanding supplies beyond drugs, and a plan for a Pacific-wide buyer's club to bulk-purchase treatments and essentials.
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Personal Turning Point From Misinformation To Advocacy
- Hazel Heal contracted hepatitis C, was told she'd die within ten years, and faced decompensated cirrhosis requiring urgent treatment.
- Hospital staff treated her with fear and misinformation, which sparked her advocacy and law studies to help others.
How A Buyers Club Saved Her Life
- In 2015 Hazel needed new hepatitis C drugs priced near US$250,000 and discovered a buyers club run by Dr James Freeman to source generics.
- She flew to Australia then used postal delivery to obtain life-saving medication at a tiny fraction of the cost.
How To Legally Import Personal Generic Medicines
- Individuals can legally import three months of medication for personal use under the TRIPS de minimis exception, using an agent to source and courier it safely.
- Hazel recommends choosing services backed by a prescribing doctor to reduce risk and ensure accountability.