Any physician can prescribe it
Any licensed physician can prescribe mistletoe preparations. However, mistletoe therapy itself should be carried out by a physician who has experience with this kind of treatment.
Coverage of costs
In principle, public German health insurance companies cover the costs for mistletoe therapy. In March of 2005, the Social Security Tribunal in Düsseldorf decided that all anthroposophical mistletoe preparations administered in the course of treatment must be covered by the patient’s health insurance.
In contrast, the costs for phytotherapeutic preparations (Cefalektin, Eurixor, Lektinol) are only covered by the patient’s health insurance in Germany if they are prescribed in accordance with the limitations on their approval, i.e. if they are used for “palliative” treatment with an aim towards improving the life quality of the patient if the disease has reached an advanced stage and metastases have occurred.
This limitation does not apply for anthroposophical mistletoe preparations because they constitute a “special therapeutic approach” whose approval by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Products is based on different criteria. In Germany they are not limited to “palliative” therapy; the costs of administering them are covered by the patient’s health insurance from the very beginning, i.e. starting at the time when the diagnosis is made.
Mistletoe extracts can be prescribed by any physician. No special qualification is required.
At a glance
In Germany, all anthroposophical mistletoe preparations can be prescribed at any point during the course of the disease; they are covered by the patient’s health insurance. The costs for phytotherapeutic mistletoe preparations are only covered in the case of “palliative“ therapy, i.e. therapy which aims to improve the life quality of the patient if the disease has already reached an advanced stage.