HealthGermany

The pharmacy in Germany

Die Apotheke

At the pharmacy you get medicines with and without a prescription, and advice. You fill prescriptions with your insurance card.

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Overview

A pharmacy (Apotheke) in Germany is not just a medicine shop but a place where qualified pharmacists give free advice and watch for interactions between medicines. Most strong medicines can only be bought with a prescription, and many painkillers and cold remedies are sold without one but only in pharmacies.

Payment and reimbursement differ between statutory and private patients. This guide explains how to read and fill a prescription, what to do outside opening hours and how to ask about a medicine and avoid mistakes.

1

Kinds of medicine and prescriptions

There are three categories: prescription-only medicines (verschreibungspflichtig) such as antibiotics, medicines that need no prescription but are sold only in pharmacies (apothekenpflichtig) such as painkillers, and freely sold medicines also available in shops and drugstores (Drogerie) such as vitamins.

  • In most cases the prescription is electronic (E-Rezept), so you carry no paper: it is read with your insurance card at the pharmacy or through a phone app.
  • The pink paper prescription is used for statutory patients, the blue one for private patients and the green one is a recommendation not paid by insurance.
2

Filling a prescription and the co-payment

Hand your card to the pharmacist, who finds the prescription electronically and may ask about your other medicines or allergies.

  • You pay a co-payment (Zuzahlung) equal to ten percent of the medicine's price, with a minimum of five and a maximum of ten euros, and children under eighteen are exempt.
  • If the medicine is not in stock it can be ordered and usually arrives within a day or two.
  • Keep the receipt, because it helps you claim exemption from co-payments if your yearly payments reach a set share of your income.
3

Advice and asking questions

Pharmacists answer your questions for free and can recommend a medicine for minor complaints such as a cold or heartburn.

  • Ask about how to use it, when to take doses, side effects and interactions with food or other medicines, and ask them to write the doses down if you do not understand.
  • Say clearly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or allergic.
  • If the medicine is for a child, state their age and weight.
  • Do not be shy about asking again, because a mistake in the dose is worse than a repeated question.
  • If you need a pharmacy that speaks English or Arabic, ask in big cities.
4

Outside opening hours and in emergencies

Pharmacies close in the evening and on Sundays, but in every area a duty pharmacy (Notdienst) is open at night and on holidays.

  • You find its address on the door of any closed pharmacy, on the official pharmacy finder website, by calling 22833 from a mobile phone or through an app.
  • A small extra fee is charged for night service.
  • In serious cases do not wait for the pharmacy but call 112.
  • For chronic medicines, ask your doctor for a prescription that lasts weeks, so that you do not run out during a holiday.
5

Storage, disposal and safety

Keep medicines in their original packaging away from heat and children, read the leaflet and watch the expiry date.

  • Do not give your medicine to anyone and do not take someone else's.
  • Expired medicines can be returned to the pharmacy or thrown into general waste according to your city's instructions, and must not be flushed down the toilet.
  • If you travel to your home country with medicine, ask whether it may be carried and keep the prescription.
  • There are dangerous counterfeit medicines online, so buy only from licensed pharmacies that show the European Union logo for online sales.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Ask the doctor for the electronic prescription and make sure it is in your name.

  2. 2

    Take your card to the nearest pharmacy or send the prescription through the app.

  3. 3

    Tell the pharmacist about any other medicine you take and about allergies.

  4. 4

    Pay the co-payment and keep the receipt.

  5. 5

    Ask the pharmacist to write the doses down if you do not understand them.

  6. 6

    Store the medicine away from children and watch the expiry date.

Documents checklist

  • The electronic insurance card or the e-prescription in the app.
  • The paper prescription if one was issued.
  • A list of the other medicines you take.
  • Receipts for co-payments.
  • An allergy card if you have a severe allergy.

Key vocabulary

  • dieApotheke
    pharmacy
  • dasRezept
    prescription
  • dasE-Rezept
    e-prescription
  • dasMedikament
    medicine
  • dieTablette
    tablet
  • dieNebenwirkung
    side effect
  • diePackungsbeilage
    leaflet
  • dieZuzahlung
    co-payment
  • derNotdienst
    duty service
  • dieAllergie
    allergy
  • dieDosierung
    dosage
  • verschreibungspflichtig
    prescription-only

Useful phrases

  • Ich möchte dieses Rezept einlösen.I would like to fill this prescription.
  • Wie oft muss ich das nehmen?How often do I have to take it?
  • Gibt es Nebenwirkungen?Are there side effects?
  • Ich bin allergisch gegen Penicillin.I am allergic to penicillin.
  • Ich brauche etwas gegen Kopfschmerzen.I need something for a headache.
  • Wo ist die nächste Notdienstapotheke?Where is the nearest duty pharmacy?

At the pharmacy

  • Apothekerin

    Guten Tag. Was kann ich für Sie tun?Good day. What can I do for you?

  • Sie

    Guten Tag. Ich möchte ein Rezept einlösen.Good day. I would like to fill a prescription.

  • Apothekerin

    Haben Sie Ihre Versichertenkarte dabei?Do you have your insurance card with you?

  • Sie

    Ja, bitte. Nehme ich das Medikament vor oder nach dem Essen?Yes, here you are. Do I take the medicine before or after eating?

  • Apothekerin

    Nach dem Essen, dreimal täglich. Die Zuzahlung beträgt fünf Euro.After eating, three times a day. The co-payment is five euros.

  • Sie

    Danke schön. Auf Wiedersehen!Thank you very much. Goodbye!

Common mistakes

  • Buying antibiotics without a prescription from unreliable sources, which is dangerous and not sold legally.
  • Exceeding the written dose in the belief that it heals faster.
  • Forgetting to tell the pharmacist that you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Storing medicines in the bathroom or the car where heat and damp spoil them.

Cultural tips

  • Find a nearby pharmacy where a pharmacist knows you and keeps your file, so that advice becomes more accurate.
  • Take a photo of the medicine box to show the doctor or pharmacist whenever you have a question.
  • Install the duty-pharmacy app on your phone before you need it.
  • Ask about the cheaper generic (Generikum) if it has the same active ingredient.

Official links

Check yourself

Question 1 of 5

What is the usual co-payment for a prescription medicine?