The availability of medicines in general

In Germany, patients generally pay 10% of the cost of medicines with a minimum contribution of € 5 per product and a maximum contribution fixed at € 10. Nevertheless, the system also makes exceptions for children and hardship cases for whom no contributions are required.

For some products, the system sets fixed prices. If the cost of the product exceeds this fixed price, a patient is required to also cover the difference in addition to the set prescription charge.[1]

The availability of Alzheimer treatments

All anti-dementia drugs are available in Germany and are part of the reimbursement system. There are no specific examinations which are required for medicines to be reimbursed nor does the system provide upper or lower MMSE limits for the treatment with different anti-dementia drugs. There are no restrictions as to the access of people living alone or in nursing homes to available Alzheimer treatments. Also, the German system does not limit treatment initiation or continuation decisions to specialist doctors.

The German Alzheimer Association underlined that due to the introduction of medicines budgets for individual doctors, some doctors were less inclined to prescribe Alzheimer treatments.

[1] European Commission (2006): MISSOC – Mutual information system on social protection : Social protection in the Member States of the European Union, of the European Economic Area and in Switzerland : Comparative tables