In Germany, investigations are underway against numerous pharmacists. They are said to have ordered the state-paid corona drug Paxlovid in bulk and then resold it illegally. Researchers assume that the damage amounts to millions.
The drug Paxlovid is intended to protect patients against a serious course of illness in the event of an acute corona infection. In 2022, the German Ministry of Health purchased one million packs of the drug and made it available free of charge to pharmacies for the care of Covid patients.
25 prosecutors have filed criminal charges
It is now suspected that numerous pharmacies ordered Paxlovid in large quantities and then illegally resold it abroad. According to information from WDR, NDR and “Süddeutscher Zeitung”, the Federal Ministry of Health has filed criminal charges against pharmacists with more than 25 public prosecutors across the country. According to reports, they all placed large orders of more than 1,000 units of the drug each – far more than was realistically needed. A pharmacy in Frankfurt am Main even ordered almost 10,000 packs.
During the course of the investigation, several raids took place. For example, the Berlin public prosecutor’s office searched six pharmacies. In Bavaria, around 70 investigators searched objects in Upper Bavaria, Middle Franconia, Upper Franconia and Upper Palatinate in mid-December and seized numerous documents. “We can currently only speculate about the number of packets of Paxlovid that have been embezzled,” a press spokesperson for the Bavarian Central Office for the Fight against Fraud and Corruption in the Healthcare System (ZKG) in Nuremberg said on Monday.
“Only at the beginning of the investigation”
“We are just at the beginning of the investigation. However, one or two investigations could result in millions in damages.” Because the German government had to spend a lot of money for the medicine. Exactly how much is kept secret. But now the investigation shows that 650 euros were paid per package, making the Paxlovid deliveries a total cost of 650 million euros.
The eight pharmacies at the center of the investigation in Bavaria are said to have ordered up to 2,500 packs of the drug. The spokesperson was initially unable to say on Monday how many of these may have been resold illegally. Investigations against pharmacists are also underway in Hamburg; In Baden-Baden, the Public Prosecution Service has already filed charges against a pharmacist on suspicion of breach of trust in combination with unauthorized wholesale distribution. He is said to have sold almost 1,400 packs of Paxlovid abroad.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
