Germany is proud to have one of the world’s best healthcare systems: immediate access to all newly approved therapeutic innovations, full cost coverage and equal treatment opportunities for all patients are the core of statutory healthcare here.
Of course, all this costs a lot of money, and so even health care “made in Germany” cannot escape the increasing cost pressure: if the population is aging constantly, more and more diseases can be treated sufficently, and the insured’s attitude of entitlement is increasing, this inevitably leads to cost-cutting measures and cutbacks. In terms of health policy, Germany is also far from being the land of milk and honey in the health care sector that it would still like to see itself as.
This applies in particular to the reimbursement of drugs, because it is always a very easy way to save money here: they are a significant cost block and a price freeze or new calculations of a reimbursement price are relatively easy to implement. In addition, there is kind of a “regulatory frenzy” of the German authorities that should not be underestimated.
This leads to an almost unmanageable variety of restrictions and measures to reduce the cost of drugs: from mandatory rebates, fixed price groups, discount agreements, benefit assessments and reimbursement limits for manufacturers over target agreements, budgets and generic drug quotas for physicians to strict requirements for pharmacists, such as reimport quotas or the obligation to replace prescribed drugs. Indeed, this list represents only an overview of the most common means of control and is far from being complete!
In order to maintain an overview in this environment and make the right decisions before, during and after an intended drug launch, you need to be well versed and receive detailed advice – especially if you are new to the German market. Exact knowledge of the German healthcare system is essential if you want to be successful!
My Offer:
- Consulting on specific issues and approaches in the German healthcare sector
- Interim management as head of healthcare for the German and/or European market
- Accompaniment and guidance of launch processes and support in pricing and market access issues
- Interim management to set up a department for Pricing & Market Access Germany and/or Europe