Overview

• ABDA President Thomas Preis has called on Health Minister Nina Warken to enforce the Social Code and halt what he deems illegal discounts by EU-based mail-order pharmacies.
• A July ruling by the Federal Court (BGH) allowed foreign vendors to resume offering bonuses on prescription drugs, overriding earlier price-binding rules.
• Germany’s Social Code prohibits bonuses or rebates for prescription medicines dispensed to statutorily insured patients, and pharmacy groups insist this ban extends to overseas mail-order sellers.
• Pharmacists warn that unchecked discounts could trigger a ruinous price race, hasten local pharmacy closures and worsen existing shortages of essential medicines.
• Associations are demanding higher dispensing fees after 13 years without a meaningful increase to offset soaring operating costs and stem the loss of 4,500 pharmacies since 2008.