The federal government provides €5 million per year for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
Vienna (PK) – Numerous innovations are coming to the approximately 1,400 local pharmacies. In order to improve the supply of medication, the maximum opening hours should be increased from 48 hours to 72 hours per week. The current legislative proposal from the government factions was approved today Health Committee decided unanimously. In addition, pharmacies will be able to offer simple health tests such as blood pressure and blood sugar measurements or analyzes of urine samples, set up outsourced dispensing points and operate up to three branches. However, it is still not possible to get vaccinated in pharmacies, which was regretted by representatives of the opposition parties.
The federal government is also providing a total of €5 million to curb HIV infections. The amendment to the Health Reform Financing Act – adopted in the form of an amendment with a majority of the ÖVP-SPÖ-Greens – stipulates that from April 1, 2024, all people with health insurance who purchase antiviral medication to prevent HIV infection will receive a subsidy of: of the actual costs, but a maximum of €60. (3813/A). Since taking PrEP requires regular medical consultations, these should also be supported with €25 once a quarter. This was evident from the overall amendment tabled during the meeting.
At the same time, Health Minister Rauch was asked in a motion for a resolution jointly submitted by the ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens and NEOS to work within the framework of the Federal Target Management Commission to generally create low-threshold and free access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for groups of people with risky behavior. Only the Freedom Party did not support the initiative.
With the votes of the ÖVP, Greens, FPÖ and NEOS, changes to the Civil Servants’ Health and Accident Insurance Act were also adopted, which primarily include the extension of provisions on COVID-19 tests and the provision of medicinal products (3794/A). The SPÖ rejected the proposal because it would continue the “patchwork” of extensions.
Pharmacies: Significant expansion of opening times and competencies
In the future, pharmacies will be able to serve their customers – beyond the mandatory core hours – on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. and on Saturdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., according to the proposal from the ÖVP and the Greens (3868/A). The respective district administrative authorities are responsible for determining the core opening times (at least 36 hours, on all working days), which can also order emergency standby services in urgent cases and make different regulations in crisis situations or when there is increased demand (e.g. tourist areas).
In addition, pharmacies should in future be able to offer simple health tests such as blood pressure and blood sugar measurements or analyzes of urine samples. Since the pharmacists have proven themselves very well during the pandemic, including by carrying out corona tests, these established structures should be made permanent. This also includes the necessary sample collection by taking blood from the capillary (e.g. fingertip) and taking swabs from the nose and throat. However, comprehensive diagnostics and therapy are still reserved for the doctor. Pharmacies where tests are carried out are obliged to report this to the responsible district administrative authority.
In order to ensure comprehensive supply for the population, especially in rural areas, pharmacies will in future be able to operate dispensaries with limited offerings and opening hours (maximum 10 hours per week) if there are towns in their service area without their own pharmacy or medical pharmacy. In addition, each pharmacy is permitted to operate up to three branch pharmacies. In justified individual cases and under certain conditions, public pharmacies are allowed to deliver urgently needed medicines to patients or immobile residents of old people’s and nursing homes.
There are also changes to the provisions for obtaining a license to operate a pharmacy, which, according to the application, are intended to contribute to generational change. Excluded from this are people with a maximum age of 65 years as well as people who have not worked in a public pharmacy or institutional pharmacy for more than three years and who have not resumed such work for at least six months. At the same time, it is emphasized that this is not a professional ban, especially since existing concessions are not affected and other forms of employment will continue to be open.
Opposition demand for vaccinations in the pharmacy
The proposed modernization steps will bring the pharmacy law into the 21st century, said Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens). In addition to the extended opening hours, the establishment of branches will be made easier and diagnostic tests and medication analyzes will be made possible. Laurenz Pöttinger (ÖVP) noted that the opening times of pharmacies would be adapted to those of retailers, with the opening hours having to be kept open for at least 36 hours.
FPÖ representative Gerhard Kaniak (FPÖ), a pharmacist by profession, spoke of a “big step”. He still saw a need for adjustment with regard to the emergency services, which were regulated insufficiently flexibly, as well as the provisions regarding ownership. In general, he was of the opinion that pharmacies could do much more.
MP Rudolf Silvan (SPÖ) regretted that vaccinations in pharmacies would not be possible again. Given that there are around 400,000 customer contacts per day, this is a huge opportunity being missed.
The NEOS were also disappointed by this, and their application in this regard has already been postponed nine times. This would have been an important contribution to significantly increasing what is estimated to be an extremely low flu vaccination rate (approx. 10%) in Austria. The time savings that working parents in particular would have for themselves and their children also spoke in favor of quick action, they argued. Finally, the applicants pointed out that this measure was also supported by the state health councils and was already common practice in various countries such as Switzerland. In addition, 2,000 local pharmacists already have appropriate training, said NEOS mandate Fiona Fiedler (669/A(E)). Your application was postponed again.
MP Werner Saxinger (ÖVP) stated that he would stick to his previous position and reject vaccinations in pharmacies. The problems are not so much a lack of vaccination centers, but rather the skepticism of many people about vaccinations, as can be seen again in the measles outbreak.
ÖVP and Greens: Federal government provides €5 million per year for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens) recalled that on World AIDS Day last year, the ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens and NEOS advocated for low-threshold and free access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for groups of people with risky behavior in a joint motion for a resolution. PrEP is an HIV medication that is taken as a preventive measure and reduces the risk of infection by 99%. As you can see today, this initiative has “been fruitful” and has resulted in financial subsidies being granted by the federal government. For now, financing is secured until 2026.
Member of Parliament Josef Smolle (ÖVP) noted that during his work as a doctor he had personally experienced the terrible consequences that an infection with HIV could have. Medicine has now made great progress and can enable those affected to lead a largely normal life. PrEP is another important factor because it can protect risk groups, prevent viral circulation and prevent high therapy costs.
Mario Lindner (SPÖ) was convinced that this was a “game changer”. He would have wished that treatment on prescription and permanent financing could have been guaranteed. In particular, he advocated for those insured by the KFA to be included in the regulation.
Health Minister Johannes Rauch told MP Fiona Fiedler (NEOS) that the funding would not come from the pot for the additional cash registers, but from the area of prevention.
SPÖ: Free and low-threshold access to vaccination against shingles for particularly affected groups
Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is a very painful disease that affects older people more often, the SPÖ MPs point out. There has been a very effective vaccination against this on the market for some time, but it is very expensive and is not covered by health insurance companies. This means that access to vaccination is not possible for a large part of the target groups. The Health Minister is therefore called on by the Social Democrats to ensure that the costs of vaccinations against herpes zoster are covered for all people over 60 and for younger immunocompromised people (2741/A(E)).
Since the costs are currently too high, he is rejecting the application, argued MP Werner Saxinger (ÖVP). Even if the thrust of the issue is correct, the financing issue still needs to be clarified, said Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens). In principle, shingles is part of the vaccination program.
The motion was postponed by the majority.
FPÖ sees a need for a new regulation on ensuring the supply of medicines
Also on the agenda was a motion for a resolution from the Freedom Party about ensuring the supply of medicines in Austria, which was also postponed. According to MP Gerhard Kaniak (FPÖ), the regulation on this matter issued by former Health Minister Rudolf Anschober does not correspond to the actual problem and is an “absolutely unsuitable attempt” to bring about improvements. He pointed out that there was a 40% increase in unavailable medicines between 2020 and 2023. Since three times as many medications cannot be delivered in Austria as in Germany, this cannot only be attributed to the international framework conditions (3250/A(E)). (Final Health Committee)
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