Pharmacy deaths continue: 271 closures in the first half of the year

At the halfway point of the year, the ABDA ( German Pharmacy Association) released new figures regarding the steadily declining pharmacy density in Germany . These figures were determined based on the state chambers of pharmacists. Currently, there are only 16,803 pharmacies in Germany – 238 fewer than at the end of 2024 (17,041). The gap between closures and new openings is also widening: The 271 closures in the first half of 2025 were offset by only 33 new openings.

Surveys show that in the past five years alone, the number of pharmacies has declined by almost 2,000 locations. This represents a loss of more than 10 percent (end of 2020: 18,753 pharmacies ). According to the ABDA , an end to this negative trend is still not in sight.

ABDA President Thomas Preis emphasizes the crucial role of local pharmacies in the healthcare system: "Without them, the supply of medicines for millions of patients will be dwindling." According to the ABDA President, growing gaps in supply are currently being closed by courier services.

But especially in light of demographic developments, medical advances, and the associated aging population, local pharmacies are indispensable. "They are often the first and only personal contact, especially for older people in an increasingly digitalized healthcare system," Thomas Preis emphasizes.

Preis not only explains what policy measures would be necessary to counteract the problem, but also argues that years of underfunding of pharmacies are the root of the misery. He places his hopes in the new federal government and the announced Pharmacy Reform Act. He places rapid implementation at the top of his priority list.

The ABDA president relies on the discourse between healthcare stakeholders, politicians, and patients. Pharmacies are well-equipped for this: "At the same time, pharmacists are putting forward health policy proposals with the new position paper 'Towards a Healthy Future with the Pharmacy ,'" Preis said. This makes it clear which healthcare tasks, such as vaccinations or prevention, pharmacies are willing to take on.