Confusion caused by new drugs in pharmacies

Consumer protection warns of confusion in pharmacies: At the beginning of the year, many millions of patients receive medicines from new pharmaceutical manufacturers.

31/12/2010

The statutory health insurance companies have negotiated new contracts with the pharmaceutical companies, which will apply from the beginning of the year. With these new contracts, patients need to be prepared for new medicines. Especially the elderly could have problems with the correct dosage of the medicines.

The health insurance companies have negotiated new contracts with the pharmaceutical manufacturers. As a result, from the turn of the year, it is now common for patients in pharmacies to receive medicines from other manufacturers. Millions of patients in Germany would therefore have to adjust to new drug packaging, as the health expert of the Federal Association of Consumer Centers told the "Bild" newspaper. Especially older people are at risk: "This can lead to dosing problems, especially in older people."

The consumer protection expert, however, advised against demanding the old drug in the pharmacy at first to pay at his own expense to later submit the bill to the health insurance. Instead, one should "try the replacement drug and go to the doctor in case of incompatibility, which can then tick on the recipe that the usual funds will be reimbursed at no extra cost." Anyone who simply submits the drug bill for the current funds without any comprehensible reason, will probably stay at the higher cost.

As many people are now insured, the Federal Ministry of Health has now joined the ongoing debate. A spokesman told the news agency AFP that the patients would have to „do not worry about it“. In any case, be assured that „All medicines will be available in comparable quality and effect as before. "Overall, the health insurance companies will increase their drug budgets from 2011 onwards.

The health insurance companies have negotiated new rebate contracts at the turn of the year. This happens on a regular basis. In the negotiations, the insurers are trying to negotiate more cost-effective variants for the same active ingredient from different manufacturers. For this reason, it can happen that many patients now receive the same drug from another manufacturer in the pharmacy instead of the previous prescription drug. In any case, patients should read the package leaflet carefully and comply with the dosage information. If in doubt, the doctor or pharmacist should be consulted. (Sb)

Also read:
The advance payment at the family doctor is a Mogelpackung
Health insurance companies increase drug budgets from 2011
Health insurance DAK concludes new discount agreements

Picture: Gerd Altmann