German pharmacists stage nationwide strike for fairer funding on March 23
Berlin – On March 23, central rallies and demonstrations will take place in four cities as part of a national day of protest. Pharmacists' associations are mobilizing to encourage as many colleagues as possible to join. In Hesse, organizers are not only arranging bus transfers to Düsseldorf but also planning a separate rally in Fulda.
"On March 23, Hesse must send an unmistakable signal. It's no longer enough to just lament the situation—now we must stand together and show our presence," urged Holger Seyfarth, chair of the Hessian Pharmacists' Association (HAV). The vast majority of pharmacies in Hesse will participate in the nationwide protest by closing for the entire day.
The HAV is organizing free bus transfers to the main rally in Düsseldorf. Departure is set for 7:15 a.m. from Frankfurt am Main, with a stop in Limburg, ensuring participants arrive by the 11 a.m. start. The return trip to Hesse is scheduled for 2 p.m. Pharmacies wishing to use the shuttle service must register in advance. It remains unclear whether an additional bus will run from Kassel to the central rally in Hanover.
For pharmacy teams unable to travel to the four main protest sites—Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hanover, or Munich—there will also be a demonstration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Fulda, held at the station forecourt. Local pharmacists in East Hesse are coordinating the event, where Seyfarth and Chamber Vice President Dr. Schamim Eckert will speak. "The greater the participation, the clearer our message," the HAV declared, calling for broad involvement.
"Just before key political decisions are made in Berlin, we are sending an unambiguous signal: we have reached our breaking point," Seyfarth emphasized. "Our pharmacies ensure daily local care, yet they face mounting economic pressure. Further delays are unacceptable. We demand immediate action: a tangible adjustment to pharmacy remuneration and clear, practical, legally secure regulations on trade discounts. Neither can wait any longer."
During the largest protest three years ago, numerous decentralized events drew over 20,000 participants across Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Wiesbaden, as well as smaller locations such as Augsburg, Detmold, Dortmund, Gütersloh, Herford, Marburg, Munich, Münster, Oldenburg, Paderborn, and Regensburg.
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