Cost proposals force German pharma down but not out
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
German federal health minister Philip Rösler's latest proposals to cut drug expenditure have been savaged by the pharmaceutical industry. "This is poison for Germany as a haven for investment," was the reaction of the pharmaceutical industry association, the VFA. The BPI, which represents small- to medium-sized drug manufacturers, complained that Dr Rösler’s misguided cost-cutting policies targeted only pharmaceutical companies, which “are responsible only for some 60% of medicines expenditure”. The generic medicines industry association, Progenerika, also scorned the proposals, maintaining that government policy on healthcare expenditure went along the lines of: “We must save, no matter what the cost”.