Abstracts by key term: Aut-idem
The “Aut-idem” regulation and the discount agreements according to Section 130a Paragraph 8 SGB V are among the most important regulatory measures regarding pharmaceutical expenditure by statutory health insurance. Both measures aim to replace patent-free original preparations with cheaper preparations with the same active ingredients, so-called generics. However, preparations with the same active ingredients are not necessarily identical to the original due to the use of other excipients and carriers as well as the permitted tolerances for the active ingredients. Exchanging the preparation can have a negative impact on the course of diseases with a narrow therapeutic range, such as epilepsy, due to these tolerances. In this case, recurrent epileptic seizures can mean that the replacement does not save any costs, but rather generates additional expenses. Epilepsy is therefore an indication in which value-added contracts should be concluded instead of discount tenders. These focus not only on cost savings, but also on optimizing patient care.