German health minister assures of drugs as viral infection ravages

Last updated: 2022/12/20 at 11:51 PM

starconnect Published 20 December 2022

German Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach speaks during a press conference on the key issues paper against supply shortages of medicines at the Federal Ministry of Health. Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

Admin l Tuesday, December 20, 2022

BERLIN – German Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach has assured of improvement in supply of paediatric drugs as wave of viral infection ravages.

Lauterbach said he expects his measures “will have an effect very quickly.”

He rejected criticism from health insurance companies, which called the measures a Christmas present for pharmaceutical companies: “I think this is first and foremost a present to the children.”

Amidst a strong wave of infections, such as the RSV respiratory virus, and a scarcity of paediatric medicines, Lauterbach had announced short-term steps to improve the supply situation.

Health insurance companies will from now on pay more for the medicines, to make it more profitable for manufacturers to sell them in the country.

The measures also ensure bureaucratic simplifications for pharmacies to be able to produce fever and cough syrups themselves and to be able to invoice them with less obstacles.

TAGGED: Viral infections