Many drugs obviously without added benefit

Medications without added benefit are prescribed too often

02/17/2015

Doctors in Germany prescribe too many drugs without a proven added value for the patients, according to a health insurance study. Only about every second preparation can withstand such a scientific evaluation. On the other hand, medications with added benefits are often not prescribed.

Only every second drug with added benefit
Only about every second new drug has added value for patients. As the news agency dpa reports, such drugs without added value but compared to common drugs are quite often prescribed by the doctor. This emerges from a report released on Tuesday in Berlin report of health insurance DAK-health. The fund concludes that the law passed in 2011 on the reorganization of the pharmaceutical market (AMNOG) is basically proven but still has weak points.

Lack of information of the doctors
The law requires new medicines to be tested for their added benefit for therapy. Then, on that basis, the price is negotiated between the manufacturer and the health insurer within one year of the market launch. If this fails, an arbitration board will have another three months to reach an agreement. According to the information determined at this time continue to be the pharmaceutical company alone, the starting price of their drug. The statutory health insurance (GKV) advocates that the negotiated prices apply retroactively, so as to prevent excessive prices in the first twelve to 15 months. The coffers suspect that it may be due to lack of information from the doctors that new drugs are prescribed so often without added benefit.

Pay more attention to supply quality
The Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (vfa) is lamenting a one-sided focus on cost containment. The quality of care, on the other hand, should be given greater consideration. The innovation balance of the pharmaceutical industry is the rest „almost no longer“, said vfa Chief Executive Birgit Fischer. However, a refinancing of the investments would no longer be possible if the prices for new medicines in this country fell below the European average. The association lamented loudly „Reuters“ Also, drugs with added benefit patients often would not be prescribed.

„End of the moon prices for medicines“
Even if a part of the preparations had disappeared from the market due to the cost-dampening law, this did not lead to bottlenecks in the supply, argued DAK boss Herbert Rebscher. Their active ingredients would be easily replaced by other medicines. Incidentally, the AMNOG is not an innovation brake either. „A little revolution“ sees the CDU / CSU health expert Jens Spahn in the drug market reform. This law „meant the end of the moon prices for medicines“, so Spahn opposite the dpa. He further explained: „But it is also clear that the AMNOG is a learning system. We want real innovation to be available to patients quickly. They must continue to be paid well.“

Even older drugs should be tested for their benefits
In Germany, there is a quasi-divided drug market, criticized Rebscher and the chairman of the Drug Commission of the German medical profession, Wolf-Dieter Ludwig. Thus, the existing market for medicinal products imported before 1 January 2011 is not reviewed. As Ludwig said, a reaction from the legislature would be possible. Rebscher said that even the newer drugs introduced after that date should be reassessed for their use after two or three years. (Ad)