80 Percent of MV Pharmacies Closed on Monday - German pharmacies stage mass closures in protest over frozen fees
Hundreds of pharmacies across Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will shut their doors on Monday as part of a nationwide protest. Pharmacists are demanding urgent action from the government over long-overdue fee adjustments. The walkout highlights growing frustration over frozen reimbursement rates and rising operational costs.
The protest follows years of stagnant funding for pharmacy services. Reimbursement rates have remained unchanged since 2013, even as operating expenses surged by 65 percent. Pharmacists are now pushing for an immediate increase in their fixed honorarium, which has stayed frozen for over a decade.
Local pharmacies play a key role in Germany's decentralised medicine reserve system. Despite their importance, many will close for the day, with over 80 percent of non-emergency sites expected to join the strike. Emergency pharmacy services, however, will continue to operate as normal. The Pharmacists' Association of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania anticipates strong participation in the Berlin protest. Several hundred people from the region are set to attend. Meanwhile, pharmacists have advised patients to delay non-urgent visits until Tuesday. Beyond fee demands, the industry opposes proposed reforms that would allow pharmacies to operate without a pharmacist present. The protest underscores broader concerns about the sustainability of the current system.
Monday's closures will disrupt routine pharmacy services across the region. The protest aims to pressure the governing coalition into addressing long-standing funding issues. Pharmacists insist that without immediate changes, the financial strain on local pharmacies will only worsen.
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