Pharmacies – providing medication and personal advice

The role of pharmacies is to ensure that people anywhere in Germany can access medicinal products 24/7. To make this possible, pharmacies keep many medications permanently in stock and offer night (24-hour) services and out-of-hours emergency services. 

Pharmacies are staffed by people from various areas of pharmacy practice who are familiar with medication. They dispense drugs and offer advice on drug safety, in particular on how to take medication, side-effects and interactions, and storage and disposal. However, pharmacies also supply many other health-related products in addition to medication – for example, skincare products and food supplements.

Some pharmacies offer additional pharmacy services known as pDL. These include, for example, in-depth advice on medication for patients who need to take multiple drugs, vaccinations, courier services, and consultations on specific health-related topics. 

The product range of pharmacies includes various products used to treat health conditions or to maintain and promote health. These include the following:

• medicinal products
• healthcare products and medical devices
• skincare products
• items available to rent, e.g., breast pumps for breastfeeding

Medicinal products

A large number of products in a pharmacy are drugs that are manufactured on an industrial scale. These are known as finished or licensed medicinal products. Pharmacies have hundreds of these products in stock to ensure that patients are supplied with them as quickly and seamlessly as possible. 

Medicinal products may be prescription-only, pharmacy-only or over-the-counter (OTC). Prescription-only medication is only available with a prescription from a doctor. The costs of prescription-only drugs are usually covered by health insurance funds for people with statutory health insurance. However, adults are normally required to contribute a co-payment towards the price. 

Pharmacy-only medication is available without a prescription but can only be sold in pharmacies. This category includes, for example, most cold remedies and some painkillers. 

Over-the-counter medication can also be purchased outside of pharmacies, e.g., in drugstores. Examples of OTC medications include medicinal teas and vitamin preparations. 

Pharmacists can also make an individual preparation for a patient if a suitable licensed product is not available. This type of preparation is known as a pharmacy preparation or individual preparation. These preparations are made in the pharmacy based on the patient’s prescription. 

This may be necessary if, for example, a medication is not available in the correct dosage or dosage form. A pharmacy preparation may also be required if a patient is unable to tolerate certain ingredients in a drug. 

Healthcare products and medical devices

In addition to medicinal products, pharmacies also sell healthcare products and medical devices, such as plasters and thermometers. Like medical stores and specialist suppliers of orthopedic solutions, pharmacies are also licensed to supply medical aids. Medical aids include, for example, incontinence pads, compression stockings, and inhalation devices. Certain medical aids, such as walkers, can also be rented out from a pharmacy.

Some pharmacies offer a rental service for a wider range of products, such as blood pressure monitors, breast pumps, or baby weighing scales. 

Pharmacies provide advice on many different health-related topics. For example, they offer consultations on medicinal products and health consultations. One special form of consultation relating to medicinal products is the medication review.

When a person experiences health problems, the first port of call is often a pharmacy. Based on the symptoms described, a pharmacist can advise the person as to whether a visit to the doctor is required and which medication may help. When dispensing medicinal products, pharmacists provide information about possible side-effects and the correct way to take the product. For example, some drugs need to be taken on an empty stomach, while others are best taken in combination with certain foods. 

Pharmacists also know whether various medications can be used in combination. They can recognize and ideally prevent possible side-effects of drug treatment. 

Some pharmacies also offer services to prevent illness and promote health. These include, for example, presentations on health-related issues such as nutrition or on diseases. In addition, vaccinations against COVID-19 and flu are among the range of preventive services offered by pharmacies. Furthermore, pharmacies cooperate with hospitals with the goal of improving healthcare provision. As part of this cooperation, people with diabetes, for example, can have a consultation in a pharmacy, with the aim of optimizing their drug treatment. Many pharmacies also offer blood pressure or blood sugar monitoring.

You can also seek advice from your local pharmacy over the phone or via chat. Pharmacies can conduct chat consultations using ApoGuide, the Pharmacy Portal operated by GEDISA, a company that focuses on digital services in the pharmacy sector. The chat service is designed for people such as those who are unable to avail of an in-person consultation in a pharmacy. It is particularly beneficial for older people or people living in rural areas. 

Who can benefit from a medication review or medication management?

A medication review or medication management can benefit people who are taking several different medications. Often, the medications are prescribed by different doctors and are taken in conjunction with over-the-counter drugs or food supplements. This can result in interactions between the drugs or increased side-effects. 

Pharmacies can conduct a medication review to improve an individual’s drug therapy and make it safer. In a medication review, the pharmacist obtains an overview of all medication a person is taking.

The following aspects are considered:

• How often and when is the medication taken?
• In which dosage is the medication taken?
• What are the person’s eating habits?
• Do they consume alcohol or tobacco?

All of these factors play a role in determining whether the medication achieves the desired effect and whether side-effects occur. At the end of the medication review, the pharmacist creates a full, customized medication plan to meet the needs of the individual. 

A medication review may be followed by a process called medication management. This means that the pharmacist continues to monitor the patient’s drug therapy. If necessary, the pharmacist may also speak with the doctor who is treating the patient. 

If you go to the same pharmacy on a regular basis, it can also be useful to have a patient account created at that pharmacy. In your patient account, the pharmacy can keep a record of your current medication plan and any allergies you may have, for example. This makes it easy to check whether a new drug is suitable for you and can be combined with the medication you are already taking.

A pharmacy employs staff who are specially trained in various areas of pharmacy practice. Every pharmacy is managed by a pharmacist.

Pharmacists have completed a higher-level qualification in pharmacy. Students of pharmacy learn how medicinal products are procured, prepared, and used. The course prepares them for manufacturing and dispensing drugs. A pharmacist must always be present during the pharmacy’s opening hours.

Pharmaceutical technical assistants, also known as pharmacy technicians, also work alongside pharmacists in pharmacies. Their role is to support the pharmacist in their daily tasks. The duties of a pharmacy technician include helping to make and check medicinal products and lab work such as urine and blood test analysis. 

Pharmacies also employ pharmaceutical commercial assistants, who are in charge of merchandise management. They manage and maintain the pharmacy’s stock of medicinal products and medical devices. They order new stock, organize the storage of the pharmacy’s product range, and are also involved in the pharmacy’s marketing strategies. In addition, they are responsible for commercial tasks such as product range management and billing processes.

In Germany, a pharmacy can be established in any location at any time. This is known as freedom of establishment. According to this principle, there are no regulations restricting the number of pharmacies that can be established in any one location. 

However, pharmacies in Germany must always be operated by a qualified pharmacist. Prior approval from the relevant authorities is required in order to operate a pharmacy. In addition, a pharmacist is only permitted to open a maximum of 3 additional branches. Pharmacists are obliged to manage their pharmacies independently in order to prevent unwanted interference from third parties. Furthermore, a pharmacy can only ever operate if a pharmacist is present on the premises. 

These regulations serve to protect consumers. Their purpose is to ensure that the supply of medicinal products is always the personal responsibility of the pharmacist.

There are various regulations governing the opening hours of pharmacies to ensure that people have access to medicinal products at any time during the day or night, including weekends and public holidays. In principle, people should always be able find a pharmacy that is open. The professional associations of pharmacists (Apothekerkammer) in each federal state are responsible for organizing the schedules of on-duty pharmacies. If a certain region has only a small number of pharmacies, individual pharmacies may need to be on-duty at all times. In other areas, different pharmacies can take turns being the designated on-duty pharmacy at any given time.  

Pharmacies largely finance themselves through the sale of prescription-only medication. On average, these earnings make up over 80 percent of a pharmacy’s revenue.

In contrast, the pricing of pharmacy-only medication and over-the-counter medication is not regulated. Each pharmacy can decide the price it charges for these drugs. As a result, the prices may differ considerably between pharmacies and locations. 

Another source of income for pharmacies comes from the charges they apply to complex tasks. These include, for example, making up pharmacy preparations. Extra charges are applied to these because of the effort involved. Dispensing certain types of medication also requires careful documentation. Pharmacies also apply a charge for this work. Pharmacies can also charge for pharmaceutical services and vaccinations.   

If you don’t live near a pharmacy, you can have a pharmacy courier medication to you. Alternatively, you can purchase your medication by mail order. Another way to get your prescription filled is to use a prescription collection service.

Medication by mail order

The sale of medication by mail order has been permitted since 2004. Pharmacists require a mail order permit for this purpose. Certain criteria must be met in order to obtain a permit. For example, they must be operating a licensed pharmacy. Patients can then order medication from the pharmacy and have it delivered to their door. This also applies to prescription-only drugs. Prescriptions can be sent by post or digitally via e-prescription.  

A list of German pharmacies that offer a mail order service is provided on the website of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM).

Our article on Medication explains how to recognize this safety logo and what to be aware of when purchasing medication online.

Prescription collection services

A prescription collection service uses prescription collection points that function like letterboxes. Patients simply drop their prescriptions into the collection box. To use a service like this, you will need a printout of your e-prescription, which you can obtain from your family doctor. Service employees pick up the prescriptions every day and deliver the medication to patients. 

There are various ways to find a pharmacy near you. Pharmacies display notices providing information about the nearest on-duty pharmacies for emergencies.

Information is also available via phone or on the Internet: 

You can find the pharmacy closest to you using the pharmacy search function on aponet.de, the official health portal of German pharmacists. The on-duty pharmacy search function will help you find the on-duty pharmacies nearest to your location. 

You can also contact ABDA, the Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists (Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Apothekerverbände) for information about 24-hour pharmacies and on-duty pharmacies located near you. There are a number of ways to contact ABDA:

From your landline, dial freephone 0800 00 22 8 33

From your mobile, dial 22 8 33 (chargeable)

Send an SMS with your zip code to 22 8 33 (chargeable)