Health: Fewer and fewer pharmacies

The distance to the nearest pharmacy could become even longer in some places. "The decline in pharmacies will continue unless there is a very rapid adjustment of fees and a dynamic adjustment – ​​then this decline in pharmacies can be stopped," said Thomas Preis, President of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists (Abda), in Düsseldorf. Dynamic adjustment means that pharmacies can pass on rising costs and thus receive more money. In the first half of the year, the number of pharmacies in Germany fell by 238 to 16,803, meaning that about one in six locations has been closed within ten years.

According to Preis, the decline in pharmacy numbers is not only affecting rural areas, but also urban areas. "This isn't just affecting rural pharmacies—unfortunately, there are more and more districts in large cities where there are no pharmacies." The number of pharmacies in Germany has been declining for years; in 2024, according to the German Association of Pharmacists (ABDA), it fell to its lowest level since 1978. Among the reasons are cost pressure and difficulties in finding successors when pharmacy owners retire. Due to a lack of earning opportunities, qualified people are drawn to industry or hospital pharmacies, the ABDA complains.

ABDA head Preis also finds it alarming that 240 main and individual pharmacies closed in the first half of the year, compared to only 23 new openings. The number of branches is also declining.