Healthcare - Lauterbach plan: medicines without pharmacists on site
Patients in Germany should be able to obtain their medications from a pharmacy in the vicinity in the future - however, not necessarily from fully qualified pharmacists. This is the goal of the planned reform by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. Lauterbach intends to introduce his law against resistance from the pharmacy sector at the Bundeskabinett on July 17, as he announced during a visit to a pharmacy in the Brandenburg town of Teltow.
Pharmacist voices frustration to Scholz
The Teltow pharmacist Mike Beyer had previously expressed his discontent with the planned pharmacy reform to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who had visited the area in March. Scholz had then asked Lauterbach to do persuasive work on site, as reported from the Health Ministry. After a roughly three-quarter-hour conversation between the minister and the pharmacist, it became clear: It had only partially worked out. Lauterbach emphasized that despite earlier conversations with pharmacists, he found it interesting. However, he remained firm - and Beyer, as well as the present president of the Pharmacists' Association ABDA, Gabriele Regina Overwiening, shook their heads at Lauterbach's statements.
What the traffic light plans
A key aspect of the plans: Pharmacies should still be allowed to open if only one pharmacist is available for pharmaceutical consultation in another pharmacy. "Experienced pharmaceutical technical assistants can take over the medication supply on site," so the Health Ministry. "Pharmaceutical consultation for customers can take place via telepharmacy." Complex manufacturing processes and the dispensing of anesthetics, however, should still require the presence of the pharmacist. At least eight hours per week, the pharmacy management must be personally present in the pharmacy.
Are alternative pharmacies dying?
Lauterbach presented the reform as necessary. "We are facing a major pharmacy death in the countryside," Lauterbach said. "We are trying to maintain this supply through community pharmacies and telepharmacy." In the future, pharmacies would still have to be run by pharmacists. "But it doesn't have to be an apothecary present at all hours in the pharmacy." Lauterbach: "Either there is no pharmacy at all in the rural areas or there is a branch pharmacy where the pharmacist is only present on one or two days." Eventually, he had to do something for the people - "and not just for the earnings of those who are already pharmacists."
The minister expressed optimism that he would be able to push through the reform in the notoriously fractious Ampel Coalition. "We will be in the cabinet on July 17, that is, on the day when the budget is also decided in the cabinet." The preparatory negotiations within the government were running smoothly.
Pharmacist warns
Pharmacist Beyer warned of benefit cuts for insured persons and too little money for pharmacists and pharmacists. "All 17,500 pharmacies are affected by this reform." Incentives should be created to reduce the pharmacy's performance offer.
ABDA-President Overwiening emphasized: "We also need pharmacists in their pharmacies. That is the core, that is the guiding principle of our entire profession." The association head emphasized: "And leaving this guiding principle is what we don't want here." Personal presence of the pharmacist leads to better care for people. Studies have shown that they then take their medication with greater compliance. This is also important for the care of terminally ill patients.
What's still planned
Further parts of the planned law are intended to bring pharmacists more money. So, the supplement for not-for-profit services is to be increased from 21 to 28 cents per packaging of medicinal products - cost: around 50 million Euros annually. The penalty for each rendered not-for-profit service is to be increased by around 30 percent to 550 Euros.
It was also reported that pharmaceutical companies will be able to negotiate secret prices for patented medicines with statutory health insurance companies under certain conditions. Corresponding amendment applications to the underlying Medical Research Act should be adopted by the factions, according to the news portal "Politico". It is stipulated that the confidentiality is mandatory and leads to a discount of nine percent, as confirmed in traffic light coalitions.
- Lauterbach plans to introduce his reform in the pharmacy sector at the Bundeskabinett on July 17, aiming to allow patients to obtain medications from nearby pharmacies, not necessarily from fully qualified pharmacists.
- During his visit to a pharmacy in Teltow, Brandenburg, Lauterbach faced resistance from pharmacist Mike Beyer, who voiced his discontent with the planned reform to Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
- The proposed reform includes allowing pharmacies to remain open with only one pharmacist available for consultation in another pharmacy, with trained pharmaceutical technical assistants taking over medication supply.
- Lauterbach emphasized that despite earlier conversations with pharmacists, he found it intriguing but remained firm, with Beyer and ABDA president Gabriele Regina Overwiening expressing their disagreement.
- The federal government, led by SPD, considers the reform necessary to address a potential 'major pharmacy death' in rural areas, aiming to maintain supply through community pharmacies and telepharmacy.
- Beyer warned of potential benefit cuts for insured persons and inadequate funding for pharmacists and pharmacies, with the reform affecting all 17,500 pharmacies in Germany.
- Overwiening, representing ABDA, emphasized the importance of pharmacists being present in their pharmacies, citing studies showing improved medication compliance and increased care for terminally ill patients due to personal presence.
