“The number of pharmacies has been declining for years,” complains Reinhard Groß, board member of the Saxon Pharmacists Association. Last year alone, 18 pharmacies closed and only five were added. In the past ten years, more than 120 pharmacies in Saxony have disappeared from the scene; there are currently 864 nationwide. Groß himself runs a pharmacy in the Eckersbach residential area of ​​Zwickau.

What Günther Jauch has to do with it

In addition, competition from mail order pharmacies is growing. One of them advertises with the well-known television presenter Günther Jauch. The fact that he gives in to this is very annoying, says Groß. The providers were “cherry picking”. They skim off sales, are based abroad and, unlike stationary pharmacies, do not provide emergency services or personal advice. They would have received a boost, especially from the e-prescription.

But he sees no reason to panic. “In the area of ​​self-medication, mail order has already achieved a market share of more than 20 percent. For prescription drugs it is significantly lower, around 1.5 percent.”

Shortages of numerous medications

Another reason for the misery is that the fees have not been increased for many years despite higher costs, he explains. Since 2013, pharmacies have received 8.35 euros per pack. During the same period, however, operating costs increased by 65 percent. There are also shortages of numerous medicines. “We still have over 500 medications that are not available or are difficult to deliver,” explains Groß. This affects the entire range, including blood pressure and asthma medications.

This means a lot of effort for pharmacists and their employees, says the expert. You would have to organize replacements, talk to doctors on the phone, adjust dosages. “That takes up a lot of space.”

Day of protest: Many pharmacies close

The fee increase should only be a first step, emphasizes Groß. In the future, the remuneration will have to be adjusted regularly in a regulated procedure. It is also positive that the role of pharmacies in the health system as a whole should be strengthened. However, his association is critical of the proposal to allow pharmacies to be temporarily run by pharmaceutical-technical assistants in the future.

Such a “pharmacy without a pharmacist” is a deterioration in performance, says Groß. Because then the entire spectrum cannot be offered – for example with regard to the distribution of narcotics or special recipes. “We don’t want a two-tier society, we want every pharmacy to offer the same services.”

Saxony’s pharmacists are coming together this Friday and Saturday in Chemnitz for Pharmacists’ Day. In order to draw attention to current problems, a nationwide day of protest is planned for March 23rd. According to Groß, many pharmacies in Saxony will then remain closed, but an emergency service will be available.