On the coming Monday, many pharmacies across Germany will close all day to protest for higher fees. Statutory health insurers criticize the action, accusing pharmacies of false claims since fees have risen since 2013.
The German pharmacists' association Abda is organizing the protest day, during which pharmacies will close while emergency services remain available. Association head Thomas Preis describes a '13-year fee standstill', despite costs rising 65 percent. Nearly 20 percent of pharmacies have closed since 2013; by end-2025, there were 16,601, the lowest since 1977. Pharmacies demand raising the fixed fee from 8.35 to 9.50 euros per pack, costing about one billion euros extra. 'We defend against pharmacies being cut to ruin', Preis said. Health insurers counter: Association vice-chair Stefanie Stoff-Ahnis stated fees rose from 1.5 to 7.1 billion euros, a 26 percent increase by 2024. This includes a three percent surcharge per pack rising with prices and volumes, plus payments for night services, deliveries, and shortages. Stoff-Ahnis calls for differentiated fees: higher for rural low-volume pharmacies, lower for urban high-turnover ones. An Iges Institute study shows no link between fees and closures; accessibility is stable, with nearly all reachable by car in 15 minutes and 42 percent on foot. Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU) has agreed to a raise, but financing is unclear amid a 12 billion euro health insurance deficit.
