23.01.2024 – 16:33
North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists
Dinslaken (ots)
Many of the unreasonable demands that make life difficult for pharmacies are hardly known to politicians and administration. Citizens also often make false assumptions. That’s why pharmacists working in professional self-administration always seek dialogue – with representatives, mayors, department heads, employees in ministries or local people. This time, Ingo Brohl, district administrator of the Wesel district, received first-hand information from Kathrin Luboldt, vice president of the North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists, during a visit to her pharmacy in Dinslaken. All sorts of prejudices were also dispelled.
Some people think that pharmacy owners make a killing. “That hasn’t been the case for a long time. Remuneration today is still at the same level as it was 20 years ago. Nothing has happened for many years and urgent reforms are needed,” says the Vice President, referring to the 60 percent increase in the past ten years Costs in pharmacies have clearly increased. The bottom line is that many owners are left with less than their own employees.
It is often claimed that pharmacies make good money on expensive medications. “That’s not true. The percentage contribution is three percent of the purchase price. However, this often has to be pre-financed by the pharmacy. Anyone who only has five or even six-figure sums in the bank’s overdraft for even a short time is paying for expensive medicines. so-called high-priced ones, maybe even higher,” explains Kathrin Luboldt.
Additional annoyance: retaxations. Even the smallest formal errors (a forgotten cross, the doctor’s first name not being spelled out, etc.) can lead to health insurance companies refusing reimbursement or delaying it for years.
District Administrator Ingo Brohl: “On-site visits and discussions with practitioners are important to me. They enable me to identify undesirable developments and make a contribution to solving existing problems. Of course, health insurance companies also have the task of keeping their finances and thus the health insurance contributions stable “However, their primary task is to ensure good health care. And this can only be achieved with future prospects for local pharmacies and their well-trained specialist staff. I am worried about the declining number of pharmacies. The Federal Minister of Health is called upon to take countermeasures.”
Other topics in the exchange: The Federal Ministry of Health, health insurance companies and Gematik did not adequately inform the population about e-prescriptions. “Practices and pharmacies are left alone and now have to iron out this information deficit,” reported Kathrin Luboldt. There are also some initial difficulties with the E recipe; especially formal aspects where it is unclear whether the health insurance company will ultimately pay for the medication issued. “Here we urgently need some kind of peace obligation on the part of the GKV,” says Luboldt. The never-ending supply bottlenecks, which are now causing enormous costs in pharmacies that are almost never refinanced or offset, a lack of skilled workers and bureaucratic hurdles were also discussed. Prequalification and other administrative and documentation tasks cost personnel resources that are actually urgently needed elsewhere. “Anyone who has to deal with paperwork no longer has time for their patients, that’s clear,” said District Administrator Ingo Brohl with understanding.
The Vice President also critically assessed Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s plans: “What he presents as a practical and unbureaucratic solution cannot, on the one hand, be implemented in practice in the way the minister imagines and, on the other hand, the ideas lead to something clear deteriorated supply situation for patients.” Pharmacies without pharmacists – the resulting distortions of competition would lead to full-service providers having to close. “This cherry-picking must finally come to an end, good care costs money – Mr. Lauterbach must finally realize that,” says Kathrin Luboldt resolutely.
When asked by the district administrator, Kathrin Luboldt emphasized: “The exchange with the official pharmacist, who is based at the Wesel district health department, works very well. Sometimes we also need a constructive view from outside in order to prevent our own operational blindness.”
“Local pharmacies are often the first and therefore an important point of contact for health problems for many people. In addition to the specialist knowledge, established pharmacists offer people a special relationship of trust. A well-positioned local pharmacy ultimately also relieves the burden on our general practitioners’ practices. These tried and tested structures must in the Wesel district, but of course also beyond, must be preserved at all costs. I will continue to work towards this – for example in regular discussions with our representatives from the Lower Rhine.” At the end of his visit, District Administrator Brohl promised: “In me, the pharmacies have a supporter at their side.”
Press contact:
North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists
Public corporation
Poststrasse 4
40213 Düsseldorf
contact person
Jens A. Krömer
Head of press and public relations
Tel. 0211 8388-119
Fax 0211 8388-299
[email protected]
Original content from: North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists, transmitted by news aktuell