Healthcare reform Pharmalobby benefits again

Healthcare reform: The pharmaceutical industry benefits again

The black and yellow government coalition continues to distribute gifts to the pharmaceutical industry. Until now, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) was able to exclude pharmaceuticals from reimbursement by the health insurance companies. In the future, such a decision is only possible after the will of the CDU / CSU and FDP if the G-BA can clearly prove the inappropriateness of the drug.

Medicines are tested and approved in Germany by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM). However, the G-BA was then able to declare drugs as non-marketable and reimbursable if they offered no additional benefit to the patient compared to active-substance equivalents. Although the G-BA has hitherto only made use of the option and excluded a drug from reimbursement by the health insurance companies, the detailed assessment of the benefit of self-administration must still be maintained, according to the Chairman of the Joint Federal Committee, Rainer Hess.

„The fact that the Federal Joint Committee should determine the inappropriateness of a drug even for approval goes beyond the objective of a benefit assessment completely”, explained Rainer Hess. Because studies and reports on the evaluation of drugs are usually not available before approval, since no company voluntarily create such. “In the interest of patients, the planned reversal of the burden of proof must be waived and the detailed benefit assessment of medicines retained”, stressed Hess. The G-BA is to supply the evidence of inappropriateness demanded by the Federal Government with the help of studies of the corresponding pharmaceutical company or the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWIG).

The planned action is met with sharp criticism not only from the opposition but also from the self-administration of doctors and health insurances. The basis for the amendment is the opinion of a law firm on behalf of the Association of Research Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA), as the „mirror“ reports are also the charge of clientele policy again louder. Thus, the Federal Ministry of Health promptly sought clarification and explained that the planned change "more clarity and greater legal certainty" is to be created and the G-BA in the future, his decision must support only a scientific document. „This also helps the Joint Federal Committee, "said a spokesman for the ministry.The suspicion of the clientele policy can not be dispelled, is also due to the simultaneous planned abolition of reimbursement for numerous supplements conditionally, because in the future, many homeopathic preparations are no longer from the health insurance paid. (fp)

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