After the Ministry of Health agreed in early November with the pharmaceutical wholesaler (PHAGO) to create a warehouse of active ingredients to combat drug shortages, Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) announced a further step against the shortages on Saturday.
Manufacturers and wholesalers must be able to pass on medicines to pharmacies up to the expiry date, and it must also be possible to import medicines from EEA countries (European Economic Area) in the event of shortages.
A similar law was being examined on Friday, it said. “With this amendment, we ensure that urgently needed medicines, if necessary, can be sold until shortly before the expiry date and do not have to be thrown away due to bureaucratic hurdles,” Rauch said, highlighting the expansion of the law. be adopted by the National Council in early 2024.
There is no need to fear loss of quality, as the medicine can no longer be sold after the expiry date.
Import at bottlenecks
In the event of acute shortages, the amendment provides for the import of larger quantities of medicines, provided they are approved in a member state of the European Economic Area (EEA).
However, the import must be reported to the Federal Office for Healthcare Safety (BASG) at least two weeks in advance. The instructions for use must be included with the medicine in German. The European Commission recently presented a new mechanism for the voluntary exchange of medicines between Member States. The amendment to the Medicines Act makes the use of this mechanism much easier for Austria.
Source: Krone
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