The Viennese municipal councilor for Public Health is not satisfied with the current supply of medicines from pharmacies and made this clear at a press conference on Wednesday. The SPÖ politician did not skimp on criticizing social security.
There is currently no problem with supply in hospitals, but there is in pharmacies, Hacker says angrily. “We are concerned with availability, but I have the feeling that social insurance is constantly playing with the price range,” the municipal council says to the umbrella organization of social insurers, which is involved in the payment of the medicines. The ever-increasing discussions about this with the umbrella organization are not productive. Postscript: “Why some medicines that are easily available in other European countries are not available in Austria remains a mystery to me.”
Social insurance companies speak of ‘unfounded accusations’
The umbrella organization rejected the accusations: “The price range is established by law and is implemented accordingly by social security.” Hacker’s statements are an “unfounded assumption.”
“Social security fulfills its role in the provision of medicines in the interests of the insured and the insured community with a clear conscience and with the greatest care,” said Peter Lehner, chairman of the Conference of Social Insurance Institutions.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Generics Association called for better market conditions for manufacturers of copycat drugs. This is the only way to ensure that a wide range of generic medicines remains available to patients, the report said.
Source: Krone
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