ABDA Warns Emergency Reform Lets Doctors Bypass Pharmacies
Berlin – October 29, 2026 -- Germany's pharmacist federation ABDA is lobbying the Bundesrat to retain the pharmacy-only dispensing requirement. It argues that the emergency care reform passed by the Bundestag on October 15 would let physicians dispense medicines directly and weaken drug safety checks.
Reform allows doctors to dispense drugs in emergency centers and out-of-hours services
The Notfallversorgungsreformgesetz would let physicians hand medicines directly to patients, for example in Integrated Emergency Centers and ambulatory emergency services. ABDA President Thomas Preis says this circumvents the pharmacy obligation, which protects patients from medication errors and misuse.
Preis describes the established pharmacist-physician four-eyes principle as a central safeguard. He says pharmacists are the last control point before a drug is dispensed, responsible for correct intake and dosage.
