CompuGROUP wishes to see the new legal certification obligation thoroughly examined, because here bureaucracy seems to be at work without the need for it: In the past, various lurid publications about this issue have hit the media, but no violations of the law or any abuses could be verified. One thing is clear: Doctors shall receive all information contributing to economic and medically indicated prescriptions in the context of their usual workflow. The newly published regulations regarding a possible certification by the KBV (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) confirm that this certification obligation is not only redundant, but also counterproductive, i.e. cost-increasing.

From CompuGROUP's point of view, the law itself, which has been in effect since 2006, constitutes an illegal, direct invasion of doctors' freedom of scope in organizing their work and of the used software. This impression has been affirmed by the latest requirements issued by KBV. If the certification becomes obligatory, doctors will have to give up important aspects of their accustomed electronic mapping of daily work routines, or once again they will be all lumped together. Such an overregulation is – as is becoming clear already – far in excess of reaching the initial goal. Many useful functions, e.g. the mapping of discount contracts, will no longer be feasible in their customary form.

"We explicitly welcome the creation of an information framework for economic prescriptions, but unfortunately the introduction of a certification regulation by the legislator had the exact opposite effect: It is a serious invasion of the doctors' workflow organization and the software's use – a software doctors have deliberately chosen for economic and medical reasons, and one that has helped them doing their work for years. This is why we are now seeking a conclusive legal decision," explains CompuGROUP board member Jan Broer. "The pharma information in this software makes an important contribution to economic prescription behavior. Not least for this reason the prescription rate of generic drugs is so high, especially in Germany. It is actually extremely high here compared to other European countries."

As early as in 2006, the majority of the information systems for doctors industry had taken the initiative, as part of a voluntary undertaking, to offer advertising-free software versions on the one hand and to label advertising clearly as such on the other. "As a matter of fact, for a long time we have been doing more than the legislator asked for in the AVWG. For the recurrent debating of this issue, one fact alone must be blamed: There are a few market participants who pursue personal interests and exploit both politics and the media to gain competitive advantages, thus eventually hurting the healthcare system," emphasizes Broer.

Jan Broer stated that in spite of the fact that legal aid has been requested, the door will remain open for a further dialogue between the industry and KBV. He adds: "Of course we support an initiative that aims at concretizing already existent regulations. Yet it is inacceptable that these regulations constitute a violation of the freedom of scope in the development of our software. Our request has for the most part been met with understanding and approval by the involved parties."

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About CompuGROUP Holding AG
CompuGROUP is one of the leading eHealth companies in Europe. Its software products, designed to support all medical and organizational activities in doctors' surgeries and hospitals, its information services for all involved parties within the healthcare system and its web-based personal health records contribute to safer and more efficient healthcare. The services of CompuGROUP are centered on its unique customer base of around 300,000 doctors, dentists, hospitals, associations and networks as well as other service providers. CompuGROUP operates in 9 European countries and currently employs around 1,800 people.