The German Federal Minister of Health, Nina Warken (CDU), has announced plans to prohibit online pharmacies from offering bonuses and discounts on prescription medications. The move aims to level the playing field between online and brick-and-mortar pharmacies and ensure equitable access to essential medicines for all citizens.
Minister Warken, in statements to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers, expressed concern that the current practice is misleading and potentially detrimental to the availability of pharmaceuticals. “The supply of medicines must not depend on promises of discounts. Nor should local pharmacies be disadvantaged” she stated. Her objective is to safeguard the continuation of personalized, local dispensing of medications, emphasizing the importance of ensuring all patients have access to this service.
The announcement follows recent controversy sparked by a ruling from the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). The court’s decision upheld the right of an online pharmacy based in another EU country to previously offer bonus premiums on prescription drugs to customers within Germany. Prescribing prices are legally regulated in Germany to maintain uniformity across all pharmacies. This system aims to guarantee that affected medications are available at the same cost regardless of the dispensing location.
For years, the applicability of these price controls to online pharmacies operating within the EU has been a subject of debate, with arguments revolving around the balance between maintaining national regulations and upholding the principles of free movement of goods within the European Union. Minister Warken’s planned legislation seeks to resolve this issue while prioritizing the stability of the German pharmaceutical market and the well-being of local pharmacies.
