What does medical cannabis cost in Germany?
The cost of medical cannabis varies considerably depending on the dosage form, variety and reference path. The following indicative values may be used as a rough orientation:
Cannabis blues: Depending on the variety and quality, between 5 and 15 euros per gram in the pharmacy. A typical monthly dose is 20 to 60 grams, which can mean monthly costs of 100 to 900 euros. Since the withdrawal from the BtMG, prices have tended to decline.
Cannabis extracts: Standardized extracts cost 50 to 200 euros per month depending on the Praeparat. They offer the advantage of a more uniform dosage.
Dronabinol (synthetic THC): As a recipe medicine about 300 to 600 euros per month, depending on the dosage.
Consultation costs: The official consultation for a cannabis recipe costs between 30 and 100 euros as a private service. Telemedical consultations are often at the bottom of this range.
Payment by the sickness fund
The statutory health insurance may cover the costs of medical cannabis under certain conditions:
Prerequisites for the acceptance of costs:
- There is a serious disease
- Conventional therapies are exhausted or cannot be used
- There is a buried prospect of cannabis improvement
- Pre-acquisition by the sickness fund (required in many cases)
Approval rate: Approval rates are about 60 to 70 percent, varying depending on the health insurance and indication. In the event of rejection, there is the possibility of the opposition.
Payment: In the event of a charge, the usual legal payment of 5 to 10 euros per prescription is required. The remaining costs are the health insurance.
Note: The first regulation within the framework of a specialized outpatient palliative care (SAPV) must not be rejected by the sickness insurance fund.
Cannabis as a self-payer: cost and savings
If the health insurance does not take over the costs, patients bear the costs themselves. There are possibilities to optimize the expenditure:
Price comparison between pharmacies: Prices for cannabis bluets may vary between pharmacies. Online pharmacies with cannabis specialization often offer more affordable prices than local pharmacies. Since the change of cannabis law, cannabis has been sent to normal recipe.
Variety selection: Not every variety costs equal. Discuss with your doctor whether a more pleasing variety is suitable for your complaints. The therapeutic efficacy is not necessarily coupled to the price.
Dose optimization: A minimum low but effective dose saves costs. Vaporizer inhalation is more efficient than other forms of consumption and can reduce consumption.
Private recipe vs. cash recipe: If a cash refund is not possible, the doctor will issue a private recipe. The medical costs (GOAe dials) are added to the drug costs.
Bluets, extracts or prefabricated products: What is worthwhile?
The cost-benefit balance depends on the individual case:
Blueten: Offer the greatest variety and flexible dosage via Vaporizer. However, the quality fluctuates, and consumption is more difficult to calculate. For self-payers often the cheapest option per milligram THC.
Extracts: Standardized dosage, easy intake as drop. Teurer per daily dose as a bluete, but more of the same effect. Well suited for patients who prefer a discrete, simple application.
Finishing agents (Dronabinol, Nabiximols): The most expensive but standardized quality and established clinical evidence. For health insurance refunds it is often easier to enforce, as they are approved medicinal products.
Let your doctor or specialist pharmacist advise you what form your situation is most useful and economical.
Receive cannabis recipe telemedicine
The official consultation for medical cannabis is telemedical and often more convenient than a personal doctor's visit. Through platforms such as your recipe.de you can get advice and make sure that cannabis is eligible for your complaints.
Prepare for the consultation: documentation of previous therapy attempts, current complaints, list of medications and, where appropriate, doctor letters or findings. The better your documents, the more informed the doctor can decide.
After a positive review, you will receive a prescription that you can enjoy in a pharmacy of your choice. Telemedicine is particularly practical and time-saving for subsequent recipes with constant therapy.
