The AfD parliamentary group introduced a motion in the German Bundestag on 3 November 2026 with the aim of improving the security of the medicine supply. The proposal calls for amendments to the Act to Combat Supply Shortages of Medicinal Products and Improve Supply (ALBVVG) and for complementary steps in procurement, production and distribution. The group cites continuing supply bottlenecks affecting important medicines as the reason.
According to the motion, the AfD parliamentary group is specifically calling for the ALBVVG, in force since 2023, to be strengthened. The measures proposed include promoting domestic and European production of selected active ingredients and medicines; reviewing health insurers’ rebate agreements for their impact on availability; and imposing time-limited export restrictions on vital medicines during severe shortages. The group is also calling for a significant reduction in bureaucracy in pharmacies– and distribution operations, to improve the ability to manage crises.
The motion’s rationale points to price and procurement incentives which, over the years, have led to a concentration of suppliers and the relocation of active-ingredient manufacturing outside the European Union. The motion’s sponsors say this has increased the vulnerability of supply chains. At the time of publication, no independent assessment of this diagnosis or the proposed measures had been issued in the form of statements by other parliamentary groups or the of the Federal Government, published on the same day. They show both increased participation in the are published.
The formal submission is recorded in the parliamentary documentation. Further consideration will be determined by the plenary session, while any referrals to specialist committees and possible public hearings are still pending. No decision has yet been made on the motion’s contents.
Separate from the AfD parliamentary group’s proposal, a continuing debate has been under way in health policy since the ALBVVG came into force about how effective the existing measures to tackle supply bottlenecks are. In addition to the German Bundestag, associations representing pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, health insurers and the Federal Ministry of Health regularly contribute assessments of the causes of shortages and possible remedies. Whether additional production incentives, changes to rebate agreements or export rules would improve availability across the board is a matter for political and expert judgement, and requires parliamentary consideration and robust impact assessments.
Regardless of the outcome of the process, the motion signals an expectation that the resilience of supply during shortages should be increased and the role of pharmacies as the first point of contact strengthened.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).