Overview
- Rossmann has announced plans to open a mail-order pharmacy by the end of the year and intends to accept electronic prescriptions (E‑Rezepte) for statutory-insured patients from launch.
- The company formed a Netherlands-based entity in Emmen to operate the service because German law reserves prescription sales to licensed pharmacists.
- Rossmann says it is building technical and safety processes such as app-based e-prescription redemption, pack checks before shipping, and verification at handover to guard against fraud.
- The move positions Rossmann directly against established online pharmacies and rivals like dm, which confirmed it does not currently plan to sell prescription drugs.
- The change could alter patient convenience and competition in pharmacy services and may trigger legal or political pushback from German pharmacy stakeholders given prior disputes over cross-border mail-order models.