Fever syrups, antibiotics, remedies for breast cancer: some medicines are becoming scarce in Germany again and again. One group of people in particular is affected.
According to a survey, around a third of people in Germany have recently had problems buying medicines. A study commissioned by the Federal Association of Drug Manufacturers (BAH) shows that 35 percent of those surveyed have experienced difficulties or shortages in the past twelve months. When asked a question, 17 percent agreed completely and 18 percent tended to agree.
For comparison: In a similar survey by the association in June 2022, the total was only 18 percent. For the current study, a good 1000 people were representatively surveyed in April. 65 percent said they had experienced little or no difficulty.
According to this, among the age groups, the 30 to 39 year olds were most affected by problems when buying medicines (together 42 percent), as were large households with at least three people (around 46), probably because of children in the household. While affected older people experienced more problems with prescription drugs for chronic diseases, younger people experienced difficulties with over-the-counter drugs, it said.
Recently also antibiotics affected
There have recently been delivery bottlenecks, for example with fever juices for children, but also with antibiotics, cancer drugs and antihypertensive drugs. “Antibiotics are vital medicines, but the supply situation is catastrophic at the moment,” criticized the chairman of the German Pharmacists’ Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann.
The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) is currently listing 483 reports of supply bottlenecks – for around 100,000 approved drugs in Germany. For many scarce medicines, however, there are alternatives, according to the authority.
According to the BAH survey, the problems can then usually be solved in the pharmacy: almost 40 percent of those affected went to the pharmacy again with a delay to pick up the desired medicine. 31 percent received another drug. In 7 percent of the cases, a new prescription had to be issued for a different drug.
Fight against scarce medicines
The federal government is starting in several areas in the fight against scarce medicines. Larger inventories from manufacturers should serve as a buffer. In order to absorb short-term disruptions in the supply chain or short-term, larger additional requirements, an obligation to store goods for several months is planned. New price rules are also planned that will make deliveries to Germany more attractive for manufacturers.
But that doesn’t go far enough for the pharmaceutical industry. Manufacturers of off-patent medicines, in particular, complain that there is a lot of cost pressure and too little reimbursement for medicines, while at the same time extensive price regulation is in place.
The “exaggerated cost containment policy” of the past few years has led to enormous price pressure, particularly on manufacturers of off-patent medicines, said BAH General Manager Hubertus Cranz. “The consequences are the outsourcing of supply chains with a focus on Asia and a thinning out of the supplier structure in the market because production is no longer economically viable for many companies.”
Source: Stern
