work of pharmaceutical companies in Germany

has been greatly hampered in recent years due to

legislative measures. Several steps of tightening
discount regulations have caused legally mandated
manufacturer discounts to triple since 2005. In
addition, discounts have increased substantially
in recent years based on individual agreements.
Overall, the manufacturer receives only about half
of the selling price of a drug. While all other sectors
of statutory health insurers reported increased
spending last year, expenditures for pharmaceuticals
actually decreased.
The main driver behind spending on pharmaceuticals
is not the price, which has actually been decreasing
for years, but an increase in consumption resulting
from an aging society and the availability of new,
improved pharmaceutical treatments for severe

The

and life-threatening diseases.