Hamburg. Under the leadership of the Techniker Krankenkasse, the replacement health insurers launched tenders for antibiotics in accordance with the requirements of the Supply Bottlenecks Act (ALBVVG) for the first time and “successfully awarded them”, as the TK announced on Friday . Price discounts were then requested for eight antibiotics in 48 lots with up to 72 additional spaces. According to the information, the contracts are valid in the years 2025 and 2026.
According to the ALBVVG, in discount tenders for antibiotics, at least half of the lots must be advertised so that suppliers can be used who obtain their active ingredient from European production (or from a contracting state in the European Economic Area). Additionally, discount partners must keep several months’ supply of products in stock.
As he continues, these specifications were implemented in the replacement health insurance competition so that three surcharges were provided for each active ingredient, “one surcharge each being reserved for manufacturers with European production of active ingredients”.
According to the deputy head of TK, Thomas Ballast, “one of the best-selling antibiotics of European production was also awarded in the current competition. But an EU active ingredient was not offered for all batches.” By selecting multiple partners – the ALBVVG requires at least two suppliers for antibiotic contracts – this ensures that any bottlenecks with one supplier are compensated. (cw)