Over-the-counter drug

( Sold engl. over the counter over the counter ') OTC drugs is the name for pharmacy-only and non-prescription drugs at the same time. According to § 48 of the German Medicines Act drugs are then classified as non-prescription, if they do not compromise when used as intended, the health of the user, even if they are used without medical supervision.

Assumption of costs in public health insurance

Since the SHI Modernization Act in 2004, the cost of non-prescription drugs no longer accepted in principle by the statutory health insurance. According to the exceptions in § 34 Social Code Book V still carried a guarantee of payment in children up to 12 years of age and in adolescents up to the age of 18, provided they satisfy these developmental disorders. In addition, the Federal Joint Committee can not put prescription medications that apply to diseases than standard therapy, on an exception list.

Reimbursement in private health insurance

Private health insurance (PHI ) provides its insured, the cost of the drugs that were approved by the evidence-based medicine or who have proven themselves as an alternative medicine in practice. This means that the costs are covered by non-prescription drugs. The prerequisite is that the filing with the insurance company came with a corresponding prescription and reimbursement has been contractually agreed.

Relevance for the supply of medicines in Germany

OTC drugs play a major role in the self-medication. For the statutory health insurance they have only a minor importance due to the widespread exclusion of benefits. Your Turnover share of total SHI Pharmaceutical Market is down to about 3 percent. In private health insurance 14.1 percent of total revenues and 35.8 percent of all regulations on OTC drugs dispensed (as of 2009).