German pharmacies stage nationwide protest for fair pay and safety

Pharmacies across Germany are preparing for a day of protest on March 23. Staff in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hanover, and Munich will hold rallies to push for better pay and working conditions. The action follows years of stagnant fees and rising costs in the sector.

The protest centres on demands for a higher fixed fee per prescription. Pharmacies currently receive €8.35 per package, a rate frozen since 2013. They now want this raised to €9.50, with annual renegotiations tied to inflation. Costs in the sector have surged by 65% over the same period, squeezing profits and increasing workloads.

Teams are also opposing government plans to allow pharmacies to operate temporarily without a pharmacist on site. They argue this risks patient safety and undermines professional standards. Not all pharmacies will close on March 23, as decisions rest with individual managers. Those that do shut must still pay staff for the day. Employers can assign tasks that don't require the pharmacy to be open, but they cannot force workers to join protests or make up lost hours later. Patients will still have access to urgent care through on-call pharmacies. The action is not a strike and has not been organised by unions.

The protest highlights long-standing frustrations over pay and working conditions in German pharmacies. With costs rising and fees unchanged for over a decade, staff are calling for immediate changes. The government's response to their demands will shape the future of pharmacy operations in the country.