Many pharmacies are in danger of bankruptcy

Many pharmacies are threatened with bankruptcy

20.06.2011

Many pharmacies have to close due to financial difficulties, according to a recent release of the German Pharmacists Association (DAV). 52 pharmacies have already stopped their business in the first quarter of 2011, the DAV continued. While the statutory health insurance companies, not least due to the austerity measures in the area of ​​pharmaceutical expenditures this year probably conclude with a billion surplus, this is largely at the expense of pharmacies, according to the criticism of the DAV.

Due to the sinking income and the associated poorer operating results, many pharmacies are threatened with their existence, warned the German Pharmacists Association in a recent release. The pharmacies were the victims of the health care reform at the end of last year adopted austerity measures in drug spending, said the DAV. The sinking expenditures of the health insurance companies for the supply of medicines are for the most part due to the increased compulsory deduction, which the pharmacies must pay in favor of the statutory health insurance (GKV). The chairman of the DAV, Fritz Becker, therefore demanded „immediately reduce the compulsory deduction back to the old measure of 1.75 euros.“

Pharmacies suffer the health reform
Not only the declining gross profits and the compulsory levies cause considerable financial bottlenecks at numerous pharmacies, but also the collapsing sales in the self-medication and the additional burdens by the new drug rebate contracts have far-reaching existence-threatening consequences, explained the chairman of the DAV. In addition, the pharmaceutical wholesalers would pass on one-to-one the savings they had to pay for drug expenditures to the pharmacies, the pharmacy association criticized. Overall, according to the statements made by the DAV chairman, the pharmacies are in many ways negatively affected by health care reform measures. This often results in considerable financial difficulties, which caused a sharp increase in pharmacy closures, explained Fritz Becker. While the statutory health insurance „once again spend significantly more for their administration, the drug supply is strangled by the pharmacy“, so the charge of the DAV chairman in the direction of politics. Becker added: „We therefore demand from the legislator to immediately reduce the compulsory deduction back to the old level of 1.75 euros.“ (Fp)

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Picture: siepmannH, Pixelio.de.