How is the drug DMC available?

Dextromethorphan/quinidine (DMC) is approved in the USA under the name “Nuedexta”. In principle, individual import is possible in accordance with Section 73 of the German Medicines Act (AMG). Doctors can have the drug imported from abroad via an international pharmacy. A doctor’s prescription is required for the import. The health insurance companies can apply to cover the costs, but this is uncertain and can be a lengthy process. Furthermore, doctors must formulate a medical justification and explain the necessity of treatment with the imported medication.

An alternative access route to DMC treatment is the manufacture of the preparation on the basis of a doctor’s prescription and formulation by specialized pharmacies in Germany. This eliminates the need to import the finished medicinal product from abroad. The production of DMC is possible at short notice. The costs are considerably lower than importing the original preparation from abroad and are usually covered by statutory and private health insurance.