Pharmacy deaths in Saxony: Help urgently needed!

Pharmacy deaths in Saxony: Help urgently needed!

In Saxony, the challenges for pharmacies are taking on threatening proportions. Loud Pharmacy Adhoc The number of pharmacies is falling continuously, currently there are only 876 - the lowest level since 1997. Susanne Schaper, the chairwoman of the left-wing faction in the Saxon state parliament, is committed to the interests of pharmacists and submitted an application for countermeasures over six months ago, but it is still stuck in the consultation process. The CDU and SPD have not yet submitted any amendments, which is bringing negotiations to a standstill.

The cost pressure, coupled with growing bureaucracy and delivery bottlenecks, is causing the economic existence of many small pharmacies to wobble. The situation is so tense that more pharmacies are closing than are opening. This leads to longer journeys for citizens, especially in rural regions where local pharmacies are indispensable contact points.

Problems in the pharmacy sector

Over the last ten years, Saxony has lost almost 10% of its pharmacies, despite an increase in sales of almost 50%. So reported LEIPZIG.INFO that the number of pharmacies fell from 1,003 in 2011 to just 899 in 2023. Schaper emphasizes that frozen fees have a significant impact on closures. Pharmacists are therefore required to take care not only of patients, but also of their economic base.

Another worrying point is that 8 to 10% of pharmacies are already operating at a loss. Thomas Dittrich, President of the Saxon Pharmacists' Association, emphasizes that in many cases the economic limit has been reached and the lack of young talent for pharmacists in Saxony is further aggravating the situation. More and more young people are moving to other federal states or to industry where they see better earning opportunities.

Helpful measures required

According to Schaper, various measures are necessary to improve the situation, including a dynamic increase in fees, reductions in bureaucracy and funding programs for digitalization. A package of measures entitled “Supply security and pharmacy protection” should be developed in order to reform the situation. In this context, there is also a proposal for a development fund that would cover part of the purchase price when taking over pharmacies in underserved regions.

The solidarity campaign with a postcard campaign in which over 20,000 cards are to be collected and handed over to politicians is intended to draw attention to the impending death of pharmacies ZDF reported. It is important that local pharmacies can continue to offer trustworthy advice - a service that online pharmacies cannot provide to the same extent.

The state government is required to develop a cross-sectoral package of measures to sustainably secure the pharmacy landscape. Even if the coalition agreement provides for a one-off increase in the fixed package fee, inflation remains a major burden. It is therefore urgent to adequately remunerate pharmacists' advisory efforts and to reduce bureaucratic hurdles so that they remain available to their customers in the future.