New perspectives in the amnog report: reduce costs with medicines

Berlin (ots)

importance of medicinal products for health care

In a current statement, Dr. Kai Joachimsen, general manager of the Federal Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI), the central role of medicines within the health system. The AMNOG report of the DAK published on Friday triggered some controversy, in particular the discussion about the expenses for medication. Dr. Joachimsen explains that the expenditure of statutory health insurance (GKV) for medicines has been constantly around 17 percent for years. After taking discounts and duties into account, this proportion is even reduced to around 12 percent. This refutes the narrative of a "cost explosion" that can often be heard in the public debate.

The effects of price regulation on manufacturers

Another critical point that Dr. Appeals to Joachimsen, the comprehensive regulatory measures that affect the manufacturers annually with more than 20 billion euros. Despite the multitude of price regulations-the price moratorium and the amnog discounts-the current framework conditions do hardly acquire incentives for research and development of new therapies. The challenges that arise from the GKV Finance Stabilization Act and the associated discounts for combination therapies must therefore be addressed urgently.

prevention and health costs

drugs are not only part of the traditional treatment, but also crucial for the prevention of diseases. Dr. Joachimsen emphasizes that adequate pharmaceutical care can help prevent diseases and to stop the deterioration of health conditions. Ultimately, this not only saves costs, but also promotes healthy and active participation of people in social life, even in old age. The logic should therefore be: save with medicines instead of saving on medicinal products.

conclusion: better access to medication supply

The discussion about the expenditure for medicines and their influence on the health system should rather direct a look at the positive aspects of medication and their influence on the quality of life of people. It is important that politicians and health service providers rethink the challenges related to price regulation in order to ensure sustainable and sustainable health care. Where costs can be reduced, this should not be done at the expense of the quality of medical care. Therefore, it is time to re -evaluate the importance of drugs in the healthcare system and to take a balanced perspective.