Saxony's Pharmacists' Association and the State Chamber of Pharmacists are calling for an emergency aid program to combat the decline of pharmacies in the state. The decline recorded since 2012 to just 880 pharmacies at the end of 2024 is continuing unabated, according to the statement. Four further closures are already known for January 2025 - after a total of 27 last year, in which there were no new openings for the first time.
"The nationwide supply of medicines to the population is coming under increasing pressure," warned association chairman Thomas Dittrich. Many pharmacies could no longer withstand the economic burden due to the enormous price increases and inflation. Eight percent are already operating at a loss, and a further third are no longer operating profitably.
"We fulfil a state mandate to provide care, but our fees have not been adjusted for twelve years now," criticized Dittrich. "It is high time that politicians took decisive action to stop this downward trend."
Chamber: People cut off from care
The State Chamber of Pharmacists also sees a need for action. Older people and people with limited mobility in particular are suffering from the longer distances to the nearest pharmacy "and are therefore practically cut off from care", said President Göran Donner. Pharmacies as an "essential part of the supply network" must be strengthened and their potential to relieve the burden on the healthcare system "must finally be fully exploited".
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