The free issue of FFP2 protective masks was a windfall for German pharmacies.
Many still cannot believe their luck today.
That went wrong.
Berlin / Munich - The Corona crisis has dominated world events for a year now.
The pandemic not only has health effects - also economic ones.
But there are not only losers who have run into financial difficulties.
Sometimes favored by political decisions, there are entire industries that benefit from them - and in the worst case, in an unjustified relationship.
This apparently also includes German pharmacies, as a research by the public broadcasters
NDR
and
WDR
in cooperation with the
SZ
shows.
According to the report, thanks to an overpriced deal, pharmacists received significantly more money from the federal government than it cost to procure the corona protective masks.
Decisive for this is a cumbersome issue of the FFP2 masks by pharmacies, although the same products would have been much cheaper in retail.
As the reporters describe, the federal government transferred a sum of 491.4 million euros to the pharmacists' association, which in turn distributed the money to the pharmacies.
The pharmaceutical dealers benefited from the fact that, regardless of the number of masks, there was a fixed share of federal funds - on average over 25,000 euros per pharmacy.
FFP2 protective masks: Health Minister Jens Spahn generously to pharmacies
The research illustrates the good business using the example of a Berlin pharmacist: He owns three shops in the capital and received around 170,000 euros from the federal government for issuing FFP2 protective masks.
The sticking point: The Ministry of Health under Jens Spahn calculated a purchase price of 6 euros per mask.
“We bought the masks for one euro to 1.50 euros”, the entrepreneur describes and explains that the bill “worked out very well”.
Specifically, he is also quoted with the description that "one deserves to be stupid and stupid".
An interesting detail emerges from the "Freedom of Information Act", which reveals explosive information to journalists and again does not put Health Minister Spahn in a very good light: officials and the specialist department spoke out against the distribution campaign early on and warned the politician, "serious financial effects" would threaten.
There was also the hint that many beneficiaries could afford the inexpensive corona protective masks themselves.
However, Spahn ignored the vote of his experts and stuck to his decision of the nationwide free edition.
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German pharmacies are happy about a lucrative mask deal with the federal government (symbol picture).
© Lorenzo Carnero / imago-images
At a Corona summit in mid-November, it was finally decided that the federal government would finance the issue of 15 FFP2 protective masks per person for risk groups.
The health ministry then developed the overpriced mechanism that generates huge profits for pharmacies without considering possible alternatives such as retail purchases, the report said.
Spahn's FFP2 corona mask deal with high costs for taxpayers?
Pharmacies make excellent earnings
But the Ministry of Health did not make the decision alone.
Rather, external help was used - from the consulting company Ernst & Young.
Accordingly, a “price sample analysis” was found in the ministry's documents, which was carried out by the EY auditors.
The company acts as a consultant in the field of protective equipment.
What is interesting here is the fact that the price comparison for FFP2 protective masks apparently also includes wholesale with 1.22 euros per piece.
Why then did the Ministry of Health expect 6 euros per mask?
Ernst & Young kept a low profile with regard to the evaluation and declared to
NDR
,
WDR
and
SZ that
advisory clients were “generally not”.
The Ministry of Health (BMG) explains the enormous price difference by not using the low price, but rather 4.29 euros based on the information provided by some comparison portals - plus a flat-rate surcharge for the pharmacists' labor costs.
With regard to the recent mask affair, in which Union MPs enriched themselves and which, according to an expert, played a key role in the outcome of the recent state elections, the question arises as to what the relationship between the health minister and certain lobby groups is like.
Was it the main reason for ignoring the advice that cost taxpayers a great deal of money and generated disproportionate profits for pharmacies?
FFP2 mask scandal: Totally exorbitant price - has Jens Spahn turned down a cheap offer from dm?
At the end of November there was apparently a video conference with the German Pharmacists Association, among others, at which Jens Spahn was also present.
For some participants, a mask price of six euros was already too high, with reference to experiences from the drugstore.
However, the ministry firmly stuck to the asking price.
Statements by the head of the drugstore chain dm also cause further question marks: The company allegedly offered the Ministry of Health to serve as an issuing point for FFP2 protective masks, confirms managing director Christoph Werner.
For this, the federal government or taxpayers would have had to pay just one euro each.
The ministry has not yet confirmed the offer, according to the report.
(PF)
List of rubric lists: © Lorenzo Carnero / imago-images
