The proposal was worded poorly, but it was correct: In order to counteract the shortage of medicines pragmatically and quickly, the President of the Medical Association, Klaus Reinhardt, suggested "flea markets" for medicines.
The outrage machine started immediately, although he hadn't spoken about sales, prescription drugs or tattered packages.
He is also correct in his assessment that many products, like food, are still effective even after the expiry date - if they ever were, which is not the case for all cold medicines.
On the other hand, the idea of the panel doctors is delicate, now the state should buy medicines centrally.
He is neither a good businessman nor a logistician, as the pandemic has shown.
"Neighborhood help" would have been a better word for Reinhardt's suggestion than "flea market", although it is worrying that this is no longer a matter of course.
Society has to help itself in times of scarcity, which includes reaching into the family pharmacy - and incidentally also remembering home remedies.