Pharmaceutical Minister Warken announces medicine distribution for the fall season
Nina Warken, the German Federal Minister of Health, has offered reassurance to the public regarding the availability of medicines for the upcoming autumn and winter season of 2024. In a statement made to the German Press Agency, Warken declared a stable situation in the medicine supply.
The Minister's statements come in the context of a reform aimed at addressing potential drug shortages. However, it is important to note that this reform does not make multi-month stocks of frequently used drugs mandatory as a safety buffer, as was the case with the Anti-Shortage Law enacted in 2023.
The Anti-Shortage Law, a response to acute supply problems with children's medications, had relaxed price rules to make deliveries to Germany more attractive for manufacturers. One of its key measures was an updated emergency list for children's medicines by the BfArM, which allows pharmacies to substitute listed medicines with equivalent or alternative forms without requiring physician approval to secure supply.
Multi-month stocks of frequently used drugs have been made mandatory as a safety buffer under the Anti-Shortage Law. But the current reform under discussion does not involve changes to this law.
The Minister also mentioned that they can react promptly with appropriate measures in case of shortages. She highlighted that the drug supply has a very high priority at both the national and European level. EU regulations, according to Warken, will strengthen the production location in Europe.
In addition, Warken plans to give pharmacies more flexibility in exchanging suitable available medicines. This move is not a response to acute supply problems with children's medications, as the previous government had already addressed such issues with the Anti-Shortage Law.
The supply of children's medications has shown improvement compared to previous years. The Minister has also reassured the public about the guaranteed supply of drugs, emphasising that the reform is aimed at maintaining and strengthening this positive trend.
In conclusion, the current reform proposed by Warken is a proactive measure to ensure the continued stability of the medicine supply, building upon the successes of the Anti-Shortage Law enacted in 2023.
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