On Wednesday, almost all pharmacies in Bavaria will remain closed in protest. The pharmacists’ association is calling for an adjustment of the fee and also sees the industry at risk from the plans of Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). Lauterbach wants to make it easier to open new pharmacies in regions with a thin network. A pharmacist will no longer have to be on site in the future.
The chairman of the Bavarian Pharmacists’ Association, Hans-Peter Hubmann, fears that such “pharmacy light” could displace established pharmacies. “Once structures have been dismantled, they don’t come back,” he told the German Press Agency.
The head of the association instead called for higher remuneration for the pharmacies: “We finally need inflation compensation for our fees,” said Hubmann. The statutory surcharge per prescription drug has not been increased for more than ten years. In addition, supply bottlenecks for many medications worried pharmacists.
Criticism of Lauterbach’s plans also comes from the new Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU). “Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of pharmacists, Federal Health Minister Lauterbach is endangering the tried and tested pharmacy structures in Germany,” said Gerlach.
The association expects that around 90 percent of the 2,820 Bavarian pharmacies will take part in the day of protest. The supply of medication should therefore be ensured via emergency services. The demonstrators meet in Stuttgart together with the pharmacists from Baden-Württemberg.