Medication supply
The number of pharmacies continues to shrink
Having a pharmacy nearby is important to many people. But the network of locations is becoming increasingly thinner – at an increased pace.
The number of pharmacies in Germany continues to shrink. At the end of September, there were still 17,187 pharmacies nationwide, according to a survey by the Federal Association of German Pharmacists Associations. Since the beginning of the year there have been a further 384 fewer. The decline was also greater in the first nine months of this year – in the previous year there was a decrease of 335 operating locations from January to the end of September. Main pharmacies and branches are recorded, of which up to three can be operated.
The federal association called on politicians to urgently stop the ever-accelerating decline. “Every pharmacy that has to close worsens the care for thousands of patients because the journey to the next pharmacy then becomes longer,” said President Gabriele Regina Overwiening. The industry also once again called for fee increases that had not been made for a long time.
dpa
Source: Stern
