Major impact surrounding the ‘missing’ corona drug Paxlovid: Health Minister Johannes Rauch has called in the financial public prosecutor’s office. It is suspected that thousands of packages have been sold illegally. The “Krone” reported weeks ago. Similar investigations are also underway in Germany.
“During the pandemic, the federal government purchased the corona drug Paxlovid at short notice. The pharmacies have received more than 130,000 packages in the past 2 years. So far we only have invoices for the Paxlovid packages for which a health insurance prescription has been issued. For the rest, there are various explanations (private prescriptions, exceeding the expiration date), but no proof. My ministry has asked the Chamber of Pharmacists to provide full proof of its use,” Rauch writes on platform X (formerly Twitter).
“I have contacted the Public Prosecution Service”
“In Germany, several public prosecutors are already investigating the suspicion that Paxlovid has been illegally resold. We also have pharmacies whose orders or invoices differ noticeably from the national average. I have also contacted the Finanzprokuratur – the Republic’s attorney – to investigate further steps in a timely manner. Based on the feedback from the pharmacies, we will decide how to proceed.”
Of the 20,000 packets, 15,000 were allegedly issued via private prescriptions and 5,000 were destroyed. At a price of 700 to 900 euros per pack, this equates to at least 14 million euros in taxpayer money. The pharmacies received Paxlovid “free” from the federal government and did not buy it wholesale themselves, as is the case with other medications.
Bottleneck in supply
The problem arose in early December when bottlenecks arose in the supply of Paxlovid. The ministry was surprised by the lack of Paxlovid, as the supply should have lasted all winter. Another 18,000 packages have now been reordered.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
