Saxony has lost 122 pharmacies over the past ten years. Last year, 18 pharmacies closed in Saxony - with only five new openings, according to the Saxon Pharmacists' Association and the State Chamber of Pharmacists. There are currently still 867 pharmacies in the state.
"The pharmacies that have closed are mainly those that could no longer withstand the ongoing financial pressure," said Thomas Dittrich, Chairman of the Pharmacists' Association, according to the press release. The economic situation has not improved for the remaining pharmacies. "The structural problems remain unchanged."
Fee frozen for over ten years
The association and chamber criticize, for example, that fees have been frozen since 2013, while nominal wages in Germany have risen by almost 40 percent during this time. At the same time, operating costs have exploded, as in all other sectors.
Göran Donner, President of the Saxon State Chamber of Pharmacists, warned of an increased burden on doctors' surgeries, hospitals and health insurance companies if the wave of closures continues. It is not recognized how much pharmacies relieve the burden on the healthcare system with their low-threshold advisory services.
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