The Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) criticized unnecessary bureaucracy.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Many practices are currently full due to rampant respiratory infections. At the same time, the supply of certain medicines is stagnating – not just for children. Calls for faster crisis management are getting louder.
The President of the German Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, called on the population to help each other. “Now only solidarity helps. If you are healthy, you have to give medicines that are in stock to the sick,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. “We need something like flea markets for medicines in the neighborhood.”
Recently there were delivery problems with children’s medicines such as fever and cough syrups. Drugs for adults are also affected, such as cancer drugs and antibiotics.
In order to counteract problems, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has announced a draft law for this week. A change in procurement law is also planned.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The ministry points out that not all delivery bottlenecks also mean supply bottlenecks. For pharmacies, the bottlenecks mean more effort to find alternatives for preparations that cannot be delivered.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has announced a draft law for this week.
(Photo: IMAGO/Future Image)
The Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) criticized unnecessary bureaucracy. ABDA President Gabriele Regina Overwiening said: “Of course, an individually produced fever juice in the pharmacy costs more and the health insurance companies will not reimburse it if it is not prescribed on the prescription. But the doctor cannot know that there will be no fever syrup in the pharmacy.” This creates a completely unnecessary bureaucracy because of the health insurance companies.
This is what politics demands, among other things
Because of the delivery bottlenecks for medicines for children, the Bavarian state government called for more cooperation in the health sector and the establishment of a central warehouse. Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) said on Bayerischer Rundfunk that he saw two possible solutions.
Either politicians have to ensure that wholesalers stock up differently, or government planning for a basic stock of medicines has to be organized. If the federal government does not take action, Bavaria can set up a central warehouse for medicines on its own, said Söder.
>> Read here: Bottlenecks in medical devices – Brussels wants to adapt controversial approval process
Green health politicians demanded that Federal Health Minister Lauterbach take steps against the lack of medicines and for more treatment options for children. For example, pharmacists should be allowed to produce a shortage of medication for the treatment of acute respiratory diseases independently and without a new prescription from the doctor treating them, suggested the politicians around the health policy spokesman for the parliamentary group Janosch Dahmen.
More: Concerns about drug shortages – “The situation has never been so serious”