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Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD)

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Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) sees no imminent shortage of children's medicines in autumn and winter. "We will do everything we can to ensure that children get the medicines they need," Lauterbach said following a meeting with representatives of doctors, pharmacies and the pharmaceutical industry.

Production of certain medicines has increased by up to 100 percent compared to last year. "Technically, we are at the upper limit of what is feasible," said Lauterbach. Only if there is a strong flu or RSV wave, bottlenecks cannot be ruled out. "We are in a much better position than last year, partly because more domestic production is taking place."

Appeal to parents

The minister appealed to parents. The order of the day is: "Please no hoarding purchases". Care can only take place if there is no hoarding. "What we succeeded in doing during the gas crisis, we can also achieve with children's medicines." Should there still be a supply gap, additional imports will be made possible, Lauterbach said. Pharmacists should also be able to prescribe alternatives if certain pack sizes or brands are not available, without the need for a new prescription or contact with the doctor.

Lauterbach also advocated a conservative approach to fever medication and antibiotics. These should only be prescribed if necessary. Further steps have also been discussed, but will not be presented. "I don't think these are necessary," Lauterbach said.

Anti-bottleneck law in force

Last winter, after a wave of infections, numerous problems had arisen with deliveries of children's medicines such as fever and cough syrups, among others. In order to better protect medicines, especially for children, an anti-bottleneck law came into force at the end of July. As a safety buffer, it makes stocks of several months' worth mandatory for much-used funds. Price rules are to be relaxed to make deliveries to Germany more worthwhile for manufacturers. However, the law needs time to take effect, said Lauterbach.

Already in the morning, Lauterbach had shown confidence. "We will be in a much better position," he assured with a view to the past winter in the ARD "morning magazine". The manufacturers are working 24/7, and production will be much larger." They have been in contact with the producers for months. "There won't be a crisis."

Pharmacists sound the alarm

Meanwhile, the North Rhine Pharmacists' Association is sounding the alarm. Currently, around 1.5 million people in Germany are affected by bottlenecks in the supply of medicines every day. The chairman of the association, Thomas Preis, said on Thursday in the ARD "morning magazine". Sometimes the supply is really on the brink," he said, with a view to antibiotics, for example, which are currently very scarce again and must reach patients quickly. In Germany, 80 percent of the prescribed drugs are comparatively cheap so-called generics, i.e. drugs for which the patents have expired. "They're getting scarcer and scarcer." o

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