The pharmacy crisis in Germany has reached its lowest level in 40 years
According to reports from Apotheke Adhoc, which are based on data from the State Chamber of Pharmacy, more pharmacies have closed in the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia in the first six months of this year.
According to the report, the number of pharmacies across the country has decreased by 222 pharmacies, bringing the current number to 17,825 pharmacies, which is the lowest level of pharmacies in 40 years.
- There will be six additional closures in Saxony in the first half of the year.
- Only one new pharmacy opened in Saxony-Anhalt.
- In Thuringia, the number of pharmacies has been declining for twelve years.
The current number of pharmacies in Germany is the lowest it has been in the past 40 years. The number of closures far exceeds the number of openings, and the crisis of pharmacy extinction is not preventing its progress to the center of Germany.
Saxon: Six additional closures
Based on the report of “Adhuk Pharmacy” which was based on a request submitted by the State Pharmacists’ Chamber, it reported that there was no new opening in the state during the first half of the year, but six pharmacies were closed, and on June 30, the number of public pharmacies reached 918 pharmacies.
According to the State Statistical Office, there were 950 pharmacies in Saxony in 2020.
Saxony-Anhalt: One pharmacy opens
The number of pharmacies in Saxony-Anhalt has decreased from 567 to 564, according to the Industry Portal. One pharmacy was opened in Magdeburg, while four pharmacies were closed in Halle, Karsdorf, Osterhausen and Dessau-Roßlau.
The State Statistical Office stated that the highest number of pharmacies in the state was in 2011 with 619 pharmacies. Since then, the number of pharmacies has gradually decreased.
Thuringia: No new openings
The Thuringian Chamber of Pharmacists suggests that there are fewer pharmacies in the state. According to investigations by the industry service provider, there were 507 pharmacies in the country at the beginning of the year. After half a year, the number decreased by six pharmacies, and no new pharmacies were opened.
The decline continued for the twelfth consecutive year, and in 2010, there were 583 pharmacies operating in the state, according to official statistics.
The main reasons behind the decline of pharmacies, according to the State Chamber of Pharmacists, are a lack of opportunities to study pharmacy and thus a shortage of future pharmacists. In addition, the Chamber criticizes the austerity in the funding of drugs at the federal level and the low wages.
In April, the High Council for Legal Health Insurance reported that there was a trend towards concentration in large pharmacies with multiple characters.
You can also read articles from AlmanyPedia in English and German via the following links: AlmanyPedia EN – AlmanyPedia DE
You can also follow the latest news in Germany today on a daily basis by subscribing to our free notification service.
