New guidelines for reimbursement of OTC medication in Germany

The German health authorities have stricken all OTC medication from the list of reimbursable products, including most CMs. The following herbal products are, however, exempt from this rule and continue to be paid for by health insurance companies:

• Hypericum perforatum (St John’s wort) for treating moderate depression
• Ginkgo biloba for treating dementia
• Plantago ovata (isphagula) as an adjunctive treatment of Morbus Crohn and HIV-associated diarrhoea
• Viscum alba (mistletoe) in palliative care of patients with malignant tumours.

Regulation regarding homoeopathy and anthroposophical medicine are not as clear cut: reimbursement is available for only those conditions for which reimbursement of non-prescription and herbal medicines is also available.

http://www.g-ba.de/pdf/pm/2004-03-16-OTC-PM.pdf, accessed 18 March 2004