Medicines in Germany
It’s all a question of the right dosage.
Drug Commission of the German Medical Profession
What is the effect of Ginkgo-biloba extracts on blood coagulation? The Drug Commission of the German Medical Profession (Arzneimittelkommission der deutschen Ärzteschaft, AkdÄ) is an expert committee of the Federal Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) and an independent body of the German medical profession. Its tasks include the documentation of undesired drug effects and the publication of recommendations on important symptoms indicating a need for treatment.
Federal Institute for Drug and Medical Devices
The approximately 1100 employees at the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM - Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte), including medical doctors, pharmacists, chemists and biologists, are responsible for monitoring the risks involved in medical devices and improving the safety of drugs. And they also check the circulation of narcotics/anesthetics and starting materials and their storage in hospitals.
German Association for the Pharmaceutical Industry
It was a long way from pill peddling in the Middle Ages to the modern pharmaceutical industry. Meanwhile, there are approximately 240 companies that belong to the German Association for the Pharmaceutical Industry (BPI), an organization that is dedicated to furthering the health care system together.
Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists
It’s all a matter of getting the dosage right – no one knows this better than your pharmacist. Accordingly, the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (ABDA) portal provides any number of useful tips: The pages tell you how to split tablets correctly, how to prevent anaemia, and much more besides.
Paul Ehrlich Institute
Who knows whether medications really help? Before a drug comes onto the German market, its quality and effectiveness must be tested, and it goes through tests for safety and environmental acceptability. Biological preparations such as vaccines and serums for humans and animals are tested by the Paul Ehrlich Institute, PEI.
www.pei.de
ROTE LISTE (The Red List)®
It’s on the shelf in every doctor’s office: the Rote Liste (Red List) lists the approximately 24,000 medicines approved in Germany and throughout Europe. The online version can be accessed by registered doctors and pharmacists free of charge.
Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies in Germany
The Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA - Verband Forschender Arzeneimittelhersteller e.V.) includes about 45 German pharmaceutical companies that are international leaders in pharmaceutical research and employ a total workforce of approximately 80,000.
www.vfa.de
