Pharmacy Protest: Doors Remain Closed in Northern Germany Today
Hamburg, March 23, 2026 – Many pharmacies across Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein are participating in a nationwide protest today, Monday, March 23, 2026, by remaining closed. This action is a stand against what pharmacists describe as chronic underfunding and a demand for fairer remuneration for dispensing prescription medications.
Those seeking important medications today might find themselves facing closed doors. A significant number of pharmacies in the aforementioned northern German states will not open for business. According to the pharmacists’ associations in these three states, up to 80 percent of pharmacies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are expected to participate, as stated by Markus Oelze, chairman of the state association.
Underfunding and Rising Costs Drive Protest
The core issue behind the protest is the long-standing underfunding of pharmacies. Pharmacists’ associations highlight that remuneration for dispensing prescription medications has not been adjusted for 13 years. Concurrently, personnel costs have risen sharply.
“This chronic underfunding has led to almost one in five pharmacies nationwide being forced to close permanently,” explained Jörn Graue, chairman of the Hamburg Pharmacists’ Association. The industry is concerned about a widespread closure of local pharmacies, emphasizing their role as a decentralized drug reserve for Germany.
Emergency Services Maintained, Patients Asked for Understanding
Despite the widespread closures, emergency services will continue as usual, assured Markus Oelze. He requested that patients postpone non-urgent errands until Tuesday. The association also directed patients to the Apothekerkammer (Chamber of Pharmacists) portal, where they can find information on nearby emergency services by entering their postal code.
In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Chamber of Pharmacists reports 350 pharmacy establishments employing an average of ten people, totaling at least 3,500 employees. “We currently assume that many pharmacy teams, several hundred people from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern alone, will participate in the protest event in Berlin,” Oelze added.
Hamburg has 349 pharmacies with approximately 3,600 employees, while Schleswig-Holstein has about 6,000 employees working in 551 establishments.
Call to Preserve Local Pharmacies
The protesting pharmacists, through their umbrella organizations, aim to remind the federal government of its promise in the coalition agreement to adjust remuneration to ensure comprehensive supply. The industry fears a
