Fever juices are in short supply in many pharmacies. Some experts estimate that this is also a distribution problem.
Image: dpa
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to alleviate bottlenecks through higher manufacturer remuneration and more purchases in the EU. Health insurance companies see it as a “Christmas present” for the pharmaceutical industry.
Mno politician wants to mess with desperate parents who fear for their children’s health. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) therefore reacted unusually quickly to the supply bottlenecks for cough syrups, painkillers, fever reducers or cold medicines.
On Tuesday he presented a key issues paper for a new drug law, which is to become a draft law next week. The background to the efforts is that in the course of the current wave of respiratory diseases, there is an above-average demand for medicines and only a limited supply.
Because individual supply chains for pharmaceuticals or active ingredients in Europe and in third countries such as China and India do not function properly, because low prices make production unattractive, because many suppliers have disappeared from the market and there are sometimes only one or two producers.