Self-Medication Continues To Expand In Germany

Use of self-medication drug products is continuing to expand in Germany, accounting for 18% of the entire drug market in 1994, second only to Switzerland with a 29% share. But while self-medication and observance by German doctors of health reform drug and treatment budgets kept spending down in the first two years of the reforms, the latest indications are that this restraint was loosened in the first quarter of this year. In each of the first two years of the reform, the drug budget of some 23.9 billion Deutschemarks ($17.13 billion) was undershot by 9.6% and 7% respectively.

The drug manufacturers technical federation, the BAH, says that because of the higher drug spending in the first quarter, doctors will be even more restrictive in the second half of 1995 in order to balance their budgets. The BAH is forecasting a further push towards self-medication in the second half following a rise to 20% of the market by the end of 1994.

The federation says it is now quite possible that sales of self-medication drugs will reach Swiss levels later on. Realistically, the BAH adds, it has to be accepted that government cost-cutting and continued reduced prescribing by doctors will intensify. Self-medication in this context has become a meaningful and necessary element in the health care system. The federation is opposed, however, to any general supervision by doctors of self-medication, and describes current moves towards such a regime as an attempt by doctors to regain lost ground.