Drugs become more expensive for patients

Apothekerverband makes cash registers responsible for increase in medication

05/12/2012

Statutory insured persons are strongly asked to pay in pharmacies. According to the German Pharmacists Association (DAV), the additional payment for prescription drugs nationwide this year increased by an average of ten cents. This will cost an average of 2.60 euros for a pills pack. Despite the billions in surpluses of the health insurance, statutory insured in 2012 should spend just under two billion euros for drug co-payments. Adolf Bauer, President of the Social Association (SoVD), calls for policy to intervene.

Despite billions in surplus cash, drugs become more expensive
Over the past three years, prescription drug co-payment has increased 13 percent. Despite the billions in cash surplus, the fee increased by an average of ten cents at the end of October.

According to the Association of Pharmacists (DAV), the number of overpaid medicines by health insurance companies has increased. The pharmacists would only collect the fees for the coffers. „Since medicines have become more expensive in recent years, the sum of the additional payment per pack has also increased“, explains Dr. Heinz Weiß, Managing Director of the Apothekerverband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, opposite the „Baltic Sea newspaper“. In the northeast of Germany, the additional payment increased from an average of € 2.44 last year to € 2.46 in 2012. According to an extrapolation of the DAV, the total in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern could fall just below the 41.3 million euros of 2011.

Adolf Bauer, President of the Social Association (SoVD), criticized the increase and explained „image“: „Patients are burdened unilaterally.“ The „Idea of ​​equal funding“ should not be endangered. That's why politics must act now. (Sb)

Picture: Andreas Morlok