German Minister On Pharmacists' "Sacrifice"

German Health Minister Horst Seehofer has thanked pharmacists at theirannual congress for their "considerable economic sacrifice" in relation to health spending. With German drug prices now below 1989 levels and drugs' share of total health fund costs falling from 16.3% to 14.3% in the last five years, this was an indication of their support for government policy, he said.

The pharmacists told Mr Seehofer of their opposition to mail-order drugs and to positive lists of prescription drugs which, they argued, would increase costs rather than reduce them.