This article will teach you everything you need to know about pharmacies in Germany.
When traveling abroad, it can be difficult and critical to obtain even a single drug. When jet lag and diseases strike, it is critical that we get the medicine we require as soon as possible. This article, on the other hand, will serve as a guide for you to purchase pharmacy products that are not available in our country.
About Pharmacies in Germany
When a doctor prescribes a medication, you want it as soon as possible, whether it’s during the day, at night, during the week, or on a holiday.
People want to know where and how they may get an urgently needed drug as soon as possible, especially when it comes to an acute health crisis.
Where does the data come from? It is not easy to keep precise data on all pharmacies in Germany at all times.
There are about 19,000 pharmacies in Germany, with 1,300 of them alternating between emergency services.
How to Find the Nearest Pharmacy in Germany?
You can ask for the nearest pharmacy in German by saying:
Wo befindet sich die nächste Apotheke?
You can also write the word “Apotheke” which means pharmacy on Google maps.
Another easy way of finding a pharmacies in Germany is to use the pharmacy finder app.
You can download the app from here for IOS and here for Andriod.
calling 22 8 33 also is another option that can tell you where exactly is the nearst pharmacy.
If you prefer to send an SMS you can do so by sending the postal code of your current location and receiving the required information by announcement or answer SMS.
Pharmacies in Germany Working Hours
For pharmacies, signs such as “Open today from 12 to 5 p.m.” or “Closed for inventory” are unimaginable.
This is because pharmacists are not permitted to choose their own hours of operation and must close at predetermined times.
They are subject to a plethora of requirements for the common good as the principal institution for the supply of medications.
Along with a broad choice of medications, emergency treatments, and the manufacture of individual prescription medications, these services include being available throughout regular business hours. (Drug Commission of German Pharmacists)
Emergency Pharmacies in Germany (On Duty Pharmacies in Germany)
Concentrating exclusively on emergency medical practices and emergency outpatient departments in hospitals would be significantly too narrow-minded.
After all, almost one in every two patients who visit an emergency pharmacy do so without first visiting a doctor’s emergency service, in part because they can reach the drugstore swiftly.
As a result, pharmacist chambers typically utilize specialized software to manage emergency services.
It calculates the nationwide pharmacy emergency service schedule based on data that must be constantly updated in the system.
Whether it’s New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve, each night, 1,300 of the roughly 19,000 pharmacies are rotated to guarantee that the public has access to a drugstore within a reasonable distance.
Each year, half a million night and emergency services personnel congregate. Local pharmacies, in addition to hospital emergency departments and on-call medical services, play a critical role in emergency medical and pharmaceutical care.
Only consistent overall availability of medicine enables rapid and successful treatment of ailments.
As a result, surveys routinely identify the pharmacy emergency service as a critical infrastructure service.
Approximately one in every four Germans has visited an emergency pharmacy at least once in the last five years, with 20,000 people doing so each night. Each year, emergency pharmacy dispense more than seven million prescription medications to their patients. It is especially critical for families.
Read Also: Pharmacists in Germany : Everything you need to know 2021
Prices of Drugs in Germany
Prescription Drugs
AmpreisV (German Medicine Price Ordinance) governs all prescription drug prices in Germany.
Every pharmacy should be able to provide the same conditions for patients who want a specific medicine. People with a medical condition, for obvious reasons, may not be able to compare costs. An individual patient is not regarded by free market economists as a freely behaving consumer.
This position could be exploited by suppliers in an unregulated market by charging excessively high charges. On the other hand, with standardized pharmacy dispensing pricing, no one is concerned about being taken advantage of.
Non-Prescription Drugs in Germany
Non-prescription pharmacy drugs have generally been excluded from reimbursement by statutory health insurance since the GKV Modernization Act went into effect in 2004.
(GKV). They have also been exempt from the AMPreisV’s regulations since that time.
The legislator has set the prices for OTC self-medication preparations (OTC = over the counter). Each pharmacy is responsible for calculating its own prices. (Drug Commission of German Pharmacists)
Requirements to Open A Pharmacy in Germany
A pharmacist’s license is one of the prerequisites for starting your own drugstore. Pharmacy students must complete their practical year after completing an average of four years of study.
Six months must be spent in a public pharmacy, and the remaining six months can be spent in a hospital, a university, or the pharmaceutical business.
Preparation for internships is a critical component of passing the state examination for pharmacists.
Apply for your license to practice pharmacy with the appropriate authorities after this step.
To operate a pharmacy, you must first obtain a license from the state. Medical and police clearance certificates are also necessary for a driver’s license, in addition to the license itself. It is necessary to provide documentation of compliance with the pharmacy operating regulations before you may operate your business as a pharmacy.
Pharmacists in Germany
Pharmacy is a profession that requires 5 years of pharmacy education followed by a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a 12-month pharmacy internship.
After completing the state exam, a pharmacist can obtain a license to practice.
The pharmacist manufactures, distributes to customers and provides appropriate use, dosage, etc. He is an expert in drugs, which he advises on issues.
It also communicates with pharmacists. Additionally, it communicates with doctors and resolves claims with health insurance companies. (Azubiyo)
Prescription Collection Points and Messenger Services
Despite Germany’s tight-knit pharmacy network, the nearest drugstore in sparsely populated areas may be several kilometers away. Even so, people have a right to a sufficient quantity of medications.
And, particularly for patients with restricted mobility, it is critical that they do not have to travel vast distances to obtain their medications.
As a result, there are around 1,200 prescription pickup stations nationally in addition to the 19,000 pharmacies.
They are placed in locations when the distance to the next pharmacy is longer than usual.
Prescription collecting sites are approved by the individual state chamber of pharmacists for a specified period of time (often two years) and may be maintained only by pharmacies that can ensure patient supply via messenger service via their pharmaceutical specialists.
Following Chamber approval, the pharmacy is legally required to run the prescription collection site in accordance with established guidelines.
Traditionally, prescription collecting locations, where patients can drop off their medicines, resemble public mailboxes. Regularly, pharmacy personnel collect prescriptions and then deliver them. This enables individuals of remote areas to receive medications swiftly and without having to drive themselves. (Drug Commission of German Pharmacists)
When to Visit Pharmacies in Germany?
- The pharmacy can help with a wide range of issues, from OTC and supplements to medical supplies to dermocosmetics and mother-baby goods, in the case of less serious illnesses.
- Pharmacies are where you can acquire your prescribed medication.
- Pharmacies are a good place to get help with medical or aesthetic issues.
What to Sell Pharmacies in Germany?
At the pharmacy, you can purchase both prescription and over-the-counter medications. All drugs are kept over the counter in Germany. That is why, when you visit the pharmacy, you must proceed directly to the cashier and inquire about the medications you require, rather than purchasing them on your own.
OTC (Over-the-Counter) Drugs
Common colds and bloating can both be treated with over-the-counter drugs that are readily available. There are a number of ways to find the product that’s right for you, including asking your pharmacist for help or describing your symptoms and complaints to the pharmacist.
Consumers tend to use online pharmacies to buy more expensive OTC drugs that are part of a planned therapy regime, yet when it comes to cold medications, painkillers and other products that patients use to treat acute conditions, the physical pharmacy shops have the upper hand.
Pharmacies in Germany carries a wide range of non-medical health-related products, including skin care products. Also popular in Germany are homeopathic products and Bach Salts (Schussler Salt) Therapy products.
Read also: DocMorris Pharmacy Online .. 2021 Guide
Equipment For The Medical Field
Medical items, including wheelchairs, crutches, oximeters, surgical instruments, and bandages, can be found. Pharmacies also carry a wide range of health-related products, including diabetic test strips, blood pressure monitors, and nebulizers.
Chain Pharmacy in Germany
There is not a chain pharmacy system in Gemany. There is a branch pharmacy system in Germany which is between the chain pharmacy and the single pharmacy system.
Branch pharmacies, in Germany, have been permitted since January 1, 2004 for pharmacy owners to operate in addition to their (then) primary pharmacy. This is only possible if the following requirements are met:
- Branch pharmacies can only be opened or owned by licensed pharmacists who are in charge of a primary pharmacy.
- For a branch pharmacy to operate, it must be in the same or a neighboring jurisdiction (or city).
- In terms of both material and human resources, a branch pharmacy must be as well-equipped as a full-service pharmacy.
- Each branch must have a pharmacy manager who is also a licensed pharmacist on staff.
- “Permit holder” can only be represented by another licensed pharmacist (not an assistant or engineer), not an employee. On the other hand, a pharmacist assistant or pharmacy engineer may represent the pharmacy manager(s) of the branch pharmacy(ies) in the same manner as any other public pharmacy.
Pharmacies like DocMorris look to the general public to be part of a larger network of pharmacies. But they’re actually just individual firms that pay a licensing fee to use the DocMorris name.
First opened in Saarbrücken in 2006 as a test of the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) decision to overturn Germany’s prohibition on third-party ownership of pharmacies, DocMorris’ parent company, Celesio, had hoped to open a pharmacy chain in Germany (which was illegal but approved by the Saarland government on the grounds that the German ban on third-party ownership would be overturned by the ECJ anyway). (Wikipedia)