רוקחות-פרמקולוגיה

German pharmacists back government's proposal on generic drugs

מתוך medicontext.co.il

FRANKFURT (Reuters Health) – The German Association of Pharmacists (ABDA) has voiced strong support for a key component of the Health Ministry's proposed spending cuts.

Hermann Stefan Keller, head of the ABDA, said on Tuesday that he supports a Health Ministry proposal requiring pharmacists to substitute generic versions of brand name drugs for patients covered by government-backed health insurance funds. His comments, made at a closed meeting of the ABDA's membership in Eschborn, were later made public in a statement from the group.

Currently, pharmacists are required to give patients the specific drug prescribed by a doctor, even if cheaper generic versions are available. The Healthy Ministry's proposal does include a clause allowing the prescribing doctor to stipulate that the pharmacist must dispense the specific brand name drug prescribed.

German Health Minister Ulla Schmidt in September proposed a "savings package" of several measures to cut between 1 billion and 1.5 billion euros in spending by government-backed health insurance fund programs for medicines.

Keller said allowing pharmacists to substitute generic forms of medicines would result in health fund savings of between 255 million and 460 million euros. He noted that other European countries allow pharmacists to make such substitutions. "What functions without problems in Switzerland, France and the Netherlands should also be allowed in Germany," he said in a statement.

Schmidt's savings package has met with protest from some within Germany's highly regulated healthcare system. The German Pharmaceutical Industry Association (BPI), which represents makers of brand name drugs, launched a major offensive last week against the plan. The head of the BPI said the proposed package would have extremely negative consequences for the industry and for healthcare in Germany if enacted.

Another Ministry proposal would change laws to allow postal delivery of medicines. This would make online sales possible, with the aim of injecting more competition into the pharmaceutical industry.

0 תגובות

השאירו תגובה

רוצה להצטרף לדיון?
תרגישו חופשי לתרום!

כתיבת תגובה

מידע נוסף לעיונך

כתבות בנושאים דומים

© ‫ e-Med
 כל הזכויות שמורות

 

התכנים המוצגים באתר זה מיועדים לאנשי צוות רפואי בלבד

אם כבר נרשמת, יש להקליד את פרטי הזיהוי שלך
עדיין לא נרשמת? באפשרותך לבצע רישום כאן
להרשמה לאתר