31.07.2023 – 10:34
AOK Federal Association
Berlin (ots)
Since July 27, large parts of the Medicines Supply Bottleneck Combating and Supply Improvement Act (ALBVVG) have come into force. This comments Dr. Carola Reimann, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the AOK Federal Association:
“The expectation aroused by the name of the law, namely to combat supply bottlenecks in the long term, is not being met. Because the legislator has used unsuitable instruments that do not get to the root of the problem, but result in large additional economic expenditures for statutory health insurance (GKV ).The exemption of entire drug groups from discount agreements and fixed prices or the raising of price caps by up to 50 percent are not suitable for making the supply of medicines safer.This is shown by the example of fever juices for children.Although the fixed prices will continue to apply until the end of the year were exposed, this does not mean that fever juices are available in every pharmacy in the country.
Another big problem is the weakening of discount contracts. The massive current and potentially possible restrictions on this important instrument prohibit the GKV from raising important economic reserves. This is a wrong decision by the legislature. In principle, it is certain that discount agreements demonstrably stabilize the existing supply chains and thus strengthen the security of supply due to the better ability to plan requirements and stocking requirements. Statutory health insurance billing data for 2021 shows that delivery defects occur less frequently with discounted medicines than with non-discounted medicines. The documented delivery failures in the supply with discount contracts were only 1.2 percent, while in the patent-free market without discount contracts the failures were more than three times as high at 4 percent.
Be it fever syrups, cancer medication, antibiotics or psychotropic drugs: delivery bottlenecks are an ongoing and global problem that cannot be solved solely through price. Germany’s share of the global pharmaceutical market is only four percent. The provisions of the ALBVVG for the early warning system and minimum stock levels for drug manufacturers are definitely a step in the right direction.
However, a direct safeguarding of supply should be addressed promptly: A comprehensive early warning system for all drugs that can be billed at the expense of the statutory health insurance along the entire value chain is imperative. As a result, suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers and pharmacies must also be included. It is therefore incomprehensible why drugs that are not discounted are excluded from this. Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that there is still a massive imbalance of interests in the advisory board of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) in favor of the pharmaceutical industry.
Overall, it can already be stated that the law does not deliver what it promises. Significant additional expenditure can be expected without effectively increasing security of supply. This means that further increases in contributions for our insured are to be feared.”
Further information can be found at www.aok-bv.de.
Your contact person in the press office:
Dr. Kai Behrens
Phone: 030 / 34646-2309
Mobil: 01520 / 1563042
E-Mail: [email protected]
Original content from: AOK Federal Association, transmitted by news aktuell