Prognos-Study: Patient Information on Prescription-bound Medicine

The pharmaceutical industry in Germany is prohibited from informing citizens about prescription-bound medicines. AmCham Germany (Health Care Committee) and others commissioned Prognos AG to examine patient information on prescription-only medicine in Germany, focussing especially on the internet as a medium. This study gives an overview of the status quo of internet-based pharmaceutical information for patients, identifies patient and public needs in regard to information and conducts a survey of patient and public needs, gauging patient and public opinion on pharmaceutical information through the pharma industry. Read Prognos Report in German, English. Executive summaries also available.

For the first time, this study on patient information on prescription-only drugs gives an overview of the status quo of internet-based pharmaceutical information for patients, identifies patient and public needs in regard to information and conducts a survey of patient and public needs, gauging patient and public opinion on pharmaceutical information through the pharma industry.

Downloads:

 "Prognos Studie" - deutsch (PDF)

  Prognos Executive Summary - deutsch (PDF)

 "Prognos Report" - english (PDF)

  Prognos Executive Summary - english (PDF)

Vision Paper - Theses for Creating a Substainable Healthcare System

The market for new, innovative drugs is highly regulated by the Statutory Health Insurance (SHI). Experts note that an unmanageable number of regulations present obstacles to competition and innovation in the healthcare market. Despite the numerous reforms in the past years, it has not been possible to ensure the long-term financing and efficiency of the Statutory Health Insurance System.

 
The Pharmaceutical research companies are committed to the political dialogue for stabilizing the healthcare system with high quality and access to services. The “Vision Paper - Theses for Creating a Sustainable Healthcare System” outlines a system that is based on a competitively organized healthcare market that is open to innovation and targets the increasing healthcare needs of an aging society.

Downloads:

 "Zukunftspapier" - deutsch (PDF)

 "Vision Paper" - english (PDF)

The Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry as a Chance for the Business Location Germany

Comprehensive work has been done in connection with an A.T. Kearney/ Fraunhofer study dealing with the pharmaceutical industry in Germany compared with the international environment. This study was presented together with the VfA and a recent Boston Consulting Group study on March 8, 2006 at a press conference and a parliamentary evening in Berlin. The results of both studies will also be presented during the next months in meetings with politicians and parliamentarians in the federal states of Germany as well as in media one to one’s.

 Study A.T. Kearney / Fraunhofer  deutsch (PDF)

Study A.T. Kearney / Fraunhofer  english (PDF)

For more information, please visit www.wachstumsimpuls-pharma.de

Internationales Benchmarking der Innovationsleistung für Pharma, Medizintechnik und Health Care-It ( Study BCG  deutsch (PDF))

In 2005, the Committee continued to lobby against regulations in the German health care system that came into effect in 2004, setting fixed reference prices for patented pharmaceuticals and including them into price clusters with generics, the so-called “Jumbo-Groups”.

• Regarding the EU’s draft regulation (EC)No 726/2004) to penalize pharmaceutical companies that fail to fulfil certain obligations, AmCham Germany forwarded a letter to Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission, outlining its concerns about the implications of the regulation on the pharmaceutical industry in Germany. Verheugen responded that the draft regulations should by no means threaten research and innovation. He furthermore said: “On the level of fines I agree with you that those contained in the draft that you have commented on are too high; we will considerably lower those maximum ceilings”.

Dominik Grillmayer
Specialist, Government Relations
T +49 30 28 87 89-23
F +49 30 28 87 89-29
E  dgrillmayer(at)amcham.de