Medication
Discount battle puts Linnemann under pressure
Aug 14, 2026 – 1:57 p.mReading time: 4 minutes
The co-payments for medicines are increasing – a steep opportunity for mail-order pharmacies that advertise high discounts. But this is exactly what sparks a heated argument.
For mail order pharmacies like DocMorris In terms of marketing, the new regulation is a great step forward. “All e-prescriptions are free of charge,” the Swiss pharmacy is already advertising to customers on its homepage. The competitor Shop Apotheke also advertises discounts of up to 20 percent.
Pharmacies in need
One might think that this is good news for those with statutory health insurance – especially if they regularly rely on medication. But the price reductions are met with strong protests from established pharmacies. “It’s another nail in the coffin for us pharmacies,” the “Hamburger Morgenpost” quoted pharmacist Kai-Peter Siemsen as saying.
What pharmacies earn on medicines
Reimbursement for prescription medications is strictly regulated. Regardless of how expensive the medication is, pharmacies receive a fixed surcharge of 8.35 euros. However, the pharmacies have to grant the health insurance companies a discount of two euros, so that they effectively receive 6.35 euros per prescription drug sold. There is also a percentage surcharge for the storage risk as well as smaller flat rates. The patients’ additional payments do not end up with the pharmacies, but are passed on in full to the health insurance companies.
However, the legal situation is not quite so clear. The Federal Court of Justice actually allowed discounts from mail-order pharmacies. But the legal situation in Germany has now changed with the Local Pharmacy Strengthening Act. It provides for uniform prices for prescription drugs, regardless of where customers purchase them. Discounts or bonuses are therefore prohibited for both on-site and mail-order pharmacies. However, they deny that the new law is compatible with EU law and continue to offer discounts. A judicial decision on this issue is still pending.
