9th Pharmaceutical Conference on the Management of Pharmaceutical Rebate Agreements: Innovative impulses from Stuttgart

On 17 October 2024, around 80 experts from the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare sector gathered in Stuttgart to discuss the latest developments in the field of pharmaceutical rebate agreements. The symposium, organised by PSE GmbH and 1stLine GmbH, offered fascinating insights into technological innovations and industry-relevant topics. PSE Managing Director Rainer Aufrecht 's announcement of the Procurement Law Transformation Act (VergRTransfG), which was only passed on 30 September 2024, was particularly surprising - a law that was still unknown to most attendees and led to lively discussions. The conference covered everything from new legal requirements and digital tools to the existential challenges faced by local pharmacies, providing important impetus for the successful cooperation of all players in the supply of medicinal products.

Groundbreaking judgements and exciting innovations in public procurement law

Dr. Alexander Hübner , lawyer and specialist lawyer for public procurement law, who specialises in the field of healthcare and regularly advises pharmaceutical companies on discount agreements and the open house model, opened the series of lectures with the decision of the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court of 28 September 2022, in which the court endorsed the case law of the European Court of Justice, according to which the maximum value of the individual contracts to be awarded must be stated as the total value in the contract notice. In addition to another judgement of the Federal Court of Justice of 8 February 2024 on the prohibition of discounts in Section 2 of the German Drug Price Ordinance presented by the speaker, the judgements of the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf on Telemedicine I and II also sparked lively debate among the participants. These judgements focus on the requirements for the suitability test and the limits of bidder confidence. The specialist lawyer's practical tips on the draft bill of the Public Procurement Law Transformation Act of 30 September 2024, which contains regulations such as the possibility of excluding bidders from third countries from the award procedure and measures to strengthen participation opportunities for young companies, also aroused particular interest.

Technology meets strategy: how digital tools are revolutionising competition

Giovanni Auricchio, Business Analyst at PSE GmbH, presented three specialised databases: pse-Rabattvertragsmonitor?, pse-publictender? and pse-Patentschutzdatenbank?. These systems enable comprehensive, synergetic data analysis that provides pharmaceutical suppliers with valuable strategic insights. In particular, the dashboard analysis with pse-publictender? is considered an innovative tool for data preparation that supports the strategic planning of discount agreements in a competitive environment. PSE GmbH's in-house tools enable precise calculations of offers for discount contracts for all health insurance companies and offer customised analyses for players in the healthcare sector. Auricchio concluded with a clear message: "PSE GmbH combines the necessary expertise and the most advanced tools to offer companies targeted support when entering the market and during the contract award process.

Practical insights into pharmaceutical supply from a health insurance perspective

Sven Sei?elberg , pharmacist and representative of Kaufm?nnische Krankenkasse (KKH), shed light on the current challenges of pharmaceutical supply from the perspective of health insurance companies and presented KKH as a reliable contractual partner for the implementation of contracts in the pharmaceutical sector. Hot topics such as supply shortfalls, sustainability and the transparency of reimbursement contributions were discussed. Sei?elberg's innovative approach in the presentation was particularly exciting: with the help of artificial intelligence, he analysed the future of SHI drug supply and had the AI define what an optimal discount contract could look like. Despite digital progress, the experienced pharmacist emphasised that all stakeholders need to work together and that specialist conferences such as this one are very important to promote exchange between the various players.

Artificial intelligence as a game changer in data analysis

Ingo Hueser, Managing Director of 1stLine GmbH, used the example of the new 1stLine Price Analyzer? to show how artificial intelligence has already found its way into business data analysis. He pointed out that around 80 per cent of the data currently available in companies is unstructured, for example in formats such as PDF, DOC, TXT or HTML. He explained how companies will be able to merge unstructured and structured data with the help of AI in the future, for example to automatically check the discount statements of health insurance companies – without the cost-intensive development of complex algorithms.

Local pharmacies caught between cost pressure and customer proximity

The last presentation of the event was given by pharmacist Dr. Matthias Kuehnle , who addressed the acute challenges facing local pharmacies in Germany. He began optimistically with a look at electronic prescriptions before outlining the precarious economic situation of pharmacies. The fee structure for prescription drugs, which has remained unchanged for two decades, is particularly worrying and, together with rising operating costs, is leading to an increase in pharmacy closures. Kühnle predicted that the number of pharmacies could fall to an alarming low of just 17,000 by the end of 2024. He called on political decision-makers to introduce urgently needed reforms to ensure the continued existence of pharmacies and to drive forward the digitalisation of the healthcare system and the safeguarding of the supply of medicines.

Conference closing with symbolic power: how strong partnerships pave the way to the future

Rainer Aufrecht, who confidently moderated the event, concluded with an inspiring comparison. He drew parallels between the requirements of drug supply and the demands of regatta sport – an area that PSE GmbH has been actively supporting for several years. Just as precision, endurance and teamwork are decisive for success in sailing, these qualities are also of central importance in the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, he emphasised PSE GmbH's partnership with French sailor Violette Dorange , who will make history in November 2024 as the youngest ever female participant in the Vendée Globe, a non-stop single-handed yacht race around the world. Aufrecht will be there in person at the start of the race in Sables d'Olonne to support the athlete at this historic moment.

The conference closed with this picture, which once again provided important impetus for the industry and showed how innovative approaches and strong partnerships can pave the way for the future. Finally, the organisers, PSE and 1stLine, expressed their special thanks to the speakers and participants, who made the event a complete success with their valuable contributions and stimulating discussions.

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PSE GmbH is a renowned management consultancy and leading provider of information databases, specialising in Europe-wide tenders, discount agreements for finished medicinal products, tender management, market access and drug regulatory affairs. Further information on PSE GmbH and the services offered can be found at www.pse-team.de.

Cover Image, FLTR: Giovanni Auricchio, Dr. Alexander Hübner, Dr. Matthias Kühnle, Ingo Hüser, Sven Sei?elberg,?Rainer?Aufrecht

Press Contact: Carina D. Bukenberger | [email protected]?

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