Pharmacy deaths in the Bautzen district: What future remains?

Pharmacy deaths in the Bautzen district: What future remains?

The situation of pharmacies in Germany is becoming more and more dramatic. The situation is particularly clear in the Bautzen district, where there are only 19 pharmacies per 100,000 inhabitants. Thomas Dittrich, owner of the city pharmacy in Großröhrsdorf and chairman of the Saxon Pharmacists' Association, draws a worrying conclusion: "The number of pharmacies in Saxony has fallen by 13 percent since 2011," reports Saxon. The trend is alarming because the national average is 21 pharmacies per 100,000 inhabitants, while Europe is doing even better with 32.

A variety of factors contribute to pharmacies having to close. The economic situation is tense; costs have risen by around 60 percent in the last ten years, and personnel costs have even risen by 80 percent. In addition, the pharmacy fee has not been increased since 2013. In 2024, 7 percent of German pharmacies were already in the red and 19 percent are considered economically at risk. This means that advances from online providers such as DocMorris and other mail-order pharmacies are gaining more and more audience, because digitalization in the healthcare system makes it easier for them to access e-prescriptions, which could harm stationary pharmacies in the future daily news determines.

What makes brick-and-mortar pharmacies so vulnerable? Especially the structural problems. Inadequate succession and the pressure from online trading are putting a lot of strain on traditional pharmacies. The developments surrounding the e-prescription, which will be mandatory from January 2024, are intended to make supply more efficient, but at the same time represent a significant challenge for local providers. Due to technical problems and inadequate preparation, many pharmacies are unable to implement the new systems immediately. An example of the printing of e-prescriptions can be seen in the Schwanen-Apotheke in Ginsheim, which had to close on December 23, 2023 because no successor could be found.

Pressure on stationary retail:

The introduction of electronic patient files, which of course also includes medication supply, is intended to advance digitalization in the healthcare system. In the future, there will be a variety of ways to redeem e-prescriptions: via the electronic health card, QR code or the Gematik app. These new systems present stationary pharmacies with the challenge of being able to compete with digital concepts. Experts fear that the new CardLink technology could apparently put mail-order pharmacies in a favorable position. If this is used on a large scale from mid-May 2024, the pressure on stationary pharmacies will increase even further.

What's next?

Dittrich is committed to adjusting the pharmacy fee and reducing bureaucratic hurdles. In addition, targeted collaboration between doctors, pharmacists, health insurance companies and patients in the form of medication management could help avoid medication errors and ensure individual advice - something that online providers cannot offer. His city pharmacy remains optimistic, already offers a delivery service and has a loyal customer network, which shows that there are ways to stay ahead of the times even in difficult times.

The difficult situation that many pharmacies are currently experiencing is a product of economic conditions, the rise of digital solutions and the ongoing decline in the number of pharmacies in Germany. But one thing remains undisputed: pharmacies are and will remain a central part of healthcare - even if external circumstances are constantly changing.