Pharmacies in need: LAV calls for immediate measures for the future!

Pharmacies in need: LAV calls for immediate measures for the future!

The situation of pharmacies in Germany is precarious. According to the Lower Saxony State Pharmacists Association (LAV), it is time for the new federal government to present a concept for the financial stabilization of on-site pharmacies. Berend Groeneveld, the chairman of the LAV, emphasizes that quick action is urgently needed to implement the goals set out in the coalition agreement to strengthen pharmacies. The situation is tense as the number of pharmacies continues to decline and costs for businesses rise, while pharmacy fees have remained unchanged since 2004. This stagnating fee poses enormous challenges for many pharmacies and means that some can no longer operate economically and have to close. In order to secure the supply of medicines through on-site pharmacies, Groeneveld is calling for immediate action from politicians.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel: The federal government plans to increase the pharmacy fee from the current 8.35 euros to 9.50 euros. Surcharges are also planned for rural regions, which could even increase the fee to up to 11 euros. These measures are necessary to strengthen the structure of pharmacies and improve incentives for employment in these areas. However, concrete implementation details and the determination of the level of care remain unclear, which casts a shadow over the planned reforms, report Pressebox.

Upheavals in healthcare

Health care in Germany is currently facing upheaval. The federal government is promoting telepharmacy to enable high-quality patient care in structurally weak areas. This could help fill the gaps left by the closures of over 4,000 pharmacies since 2010. These developments must be seen against the backdrop of rising operating costs, stagnating fees and the bureaucracy that has been troubling pharmacies for years. The political decisions are aimed at keeping the contribution rates in statutory health insurance stable and promoting more efficient use of funds - a step that is welcomed in the industry.

Gabriele Regina Overwiening, President of the ABDA - Federal Association of German Pharmacists' Associations, expresses concerns about the draft bill for the "Law for Pharmacy Fees and Pharmacy Structural Reform". In your opinion, allowing medicines to be dispensed without a pharmacist could endanger the supply of medicines. Overwiening speaks of a “serious breach of taboo” that ignores the needs of the population. She calls for better remuneration for pharmacists and less bureaucracy in order to ensure that medicines are supplied close to home

Demands for the future

Despite the challenging conditions, pharmacies play an important role in providing medical care to the population. Pharmacists do valuable work, especially when there are supply bottlenecks, and demand that politicians improve the conditions for their work. In order to set the course for a future-proof pharmaceutical supply, a rethink is necessary. Politicians are called upon to find quick and effective solutions to avert concerns that the situation will deteriorate further. In view of the profound changes in the German healthcare system, the willingness to adjust fees is a step in the right direction, even if the estimated additional costs of 650 million euros annually represent a considerable financial outlay.

The current challenges are a clear wake-up call to those responsible. It is important to protect and promote pharmacies as an indispensable part of the health system. This is the only way to guarantee comprehensive, high-quality care for the population.