Stationary pharmacies currently still benefit from e-prescriptions. Digital prescription delivery at online pharmacies is now simplified. Local pharmacies could be left behind.
On December 23, 2023, the Schwanen-Apotheke in Ginsheim, Hesse, closed its doors forever. Despite great efforts, pharmacist Marina Preuhs was unable to find a successor for the family business that her father founded 74 years ago.
More and more pharmacies are closing
The fate of the Schwanen-Apotheke is not an isolated case: the number of pharmacies has fallen steadily in recent years, and the downward trend is particularly clear in a long-term comparison. In 2013 there were at least 20,662 pharmacies in Germany, at the end of 2023 there were only 17,571 – and therefore fewer than there have been since 1980. Within ten years, more than 3,000 pharmacies have closed.
There is no end to the downward trend in sight – on the contrary: in the first quarter of 2024, the number of pharmacies in Germany fell again by 142. At the end of March, there were only 17,429 pharmacies nationwide, according to data from the Federal Association of German Pharmacists Associations. The chairman of the German Pharmacists’ Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann, speaks of an “alarming sign” in view of the new figures: more than 500 pharmacies could be lost this year.
Bumpy introduction of the e-prescription
When looking for reasons for the disappearance of pharmacies, reference is repeatedly made to the difficulty of finding successors, but also to the tense financial situation of many pharmacies. Industry representatives are therefore demanding, among other things, fee increases.
However, the introduction of e-prescriptions is now causing additional problems. Technically, this is “still very bumpy,” recently complained the President of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists’ Associations, Gabriele Overwiening. Recurring system failures meant that people were sometimes unable to redeem their e-prescriptions for hours.
Redeem an e-prescription – know how
Consumers can currently use three ways to redeem their e-prescription: the electronic health card (EGK), a token printout (QR code) and the Gematik app. However, some practices are said to refuse to print out the e-prescription or provide the QR code digitally – even though they are actually obliged to do so.
Mail order pharmacies see this as a clear competitive disadvantage compared to stationary pharmacies – consumers have so far only been able to redeem their e-prescriptions online using a printout or QR code. Redcare, Doc Morris and Co. have even threatened the Federal Ministry of Health with a lawsuit.
In fact, the Gematik app and thus the redemption of e-prescriptions via smartphone have not yet been able to establish themselves in practice; printing out the token is still rarely used. Redemption in the local pharmacy dominates, as simply reading in the EGK is sufficient.
Who is Gematik?
The national agency for digital medicine, Gematik, is responsible for building a digital health infrastructure for Germany, including e-prescriptions and e-patient files. The Federal Ministry of Health holds 51 percent of the shares, other shareholders include the German Medical Association, the German Pharmacists’ Association, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the German Hospital Association. Patients can use the Gematik app “The E-Prescription” to redeem their e-prescription at local pharmacies or mail-order pharmacies.
Redeem a prescription with your smartphone and Health card
In the future, mail order pharmacies should have easier access to e-prescriptions. This is made possible by a technical solution called CardLink: This fourth redemption method requires nothing more than an NFC-capable smartphone and an NFC-capable insurance card – the same technology that is used for contactless payment.
If the patient holds his EGK up to his smartphone, he is automatically asked to enter the last six digits of the card number. The CardLink solution enables the fully digital redemption of e-prescriptions via app.
Does CardLink give online pharmacies an advantage?
The idea was promoted by the Association of European Online Pharmacies – and mail order pharmacies are said to be the big beneficiary of the process. According to one Report from heise online Experts in telematics infrastructure in the healthcare sector fear that CardLink will give mail-order pharmacies an advantage over on-site pharmacies.
Ultimately, online pharmacies are able to develop their own apps – and these could possibly be designed in such a way that patients can no longer choose a local pharmacy via the pharmacy directory service.
Redcare Pharmacy: Investors hope for e-prescriptions
According to industry experts, the CardLink process could be used widely from mid-May. The next few weeks and months will then show whether mail order pharmacies can capture a significant share of the prescription medication business.
A look at the annual figures from Redcare Pharmacy (formerly Shop Apotheke Europe) shows how well online pharmacies are already doing. The mail order pharmacy increased its sales last year by 49 percent to a record 1.8 billion euros. The share price development also speaks for itself: Last year, the shares now listed in the MDAX had skyrocketed by around 200 percent – driven by hopes of good business with e-prescriptions in Germany.