Crisis alarm in the Schwalm-Eder district: pharmacy closures endanger supplies!

Crisis alarm in the Schwalm-Eder district: pharmacy closures endanger supplies!

The pharmacy landscape in Germany is under enormous pressure, which not only affects the large cities, but also smaller communities such as in the Schwalm-Eder district. Places such as Malsfeld, Morschen, Schrecksbach and Jesberg in particular have lost their pharmacies, which not only endangers the supply of the population, but also threatens the existence of the local pharmacists. Loud Pharmacy Adhoc The pharmacy in Guxhagen has filed for bankruptcy and Steffen Grönig, owner of the Edder pharmacy, also expresses great concerns about the current developments.

“We urgently need to point out the problem of mail order business,” said Grönig, who, together with Dr. Alexander Schröder from the Rosen-Apotheke sought contact with the HNA editorial team. Both pharmacists are alarmed that the closures of pharmacies are jeopardizing reliable care for thousands of patients. The reasons for this are complex: low profit margins, high emergency service burdens, inadequate fee adjustments and strong competition from foreign mail-order pharmacies are putting local pharmacies under severe strain. The situation is becoming increasingly precarious, particularly in rural areas, as the mail order trade in prescription drugs threatens the existence of these important supply points.

The numbers speak volumes

The current situation is not just a big issue locally. There is a dramatic decline in the number of pharmacies across Germany. If 2024 ended with just 17,041 pharmacies, this represents a decrease of 530 pharmacies compared to the previous year, representing a 3 percent increase in closures, according to the ABDA reported.

• 2022: 393 geschlossene Apotheken
• 2023: 497 geschlossene Apotheken
• 2024: weitere 530 geschlossene Apotheken

At the same time, the number of new openings is decreasing. There were 68 new pharmacies in 2022, while there were only 48 in 2024. “This development is alarming,” says ABDA President Gabriele Regina Overwiening and calls for urgent political measures to stabilize the supply.

Calls for change

Pharmacists feel let down by politics. Comprehensive support is lacking as economic challenges continue to grow. Stagnant remuneration and rising operating costs, including for rent and energy, place additional strain on pharmacists. This situation leads to ever-increasing bureaucratization, which ties up valuable human resources and further complicates trade, according to a report by Press box emerges.

There is great uncertainty about the long-term prospects of providing medicines close to home, and without targeted countermeasures, the decline in the number of pharmacies could continue. Pharmacists not only demand fair remuneration, but also a reduction in bureaucracy and greater support in competition against online providers. The call for colleagues to contact the local press to make cities and communities aware of the problem is becoming louder and louder.