Germany Faces New Wave of Medicine Shortages

Germany faces renewed concerns over medicine availability as pharmacy associations warn that the country is poorly prepared for the upcoming winter. According to official reports, more than 500 medicines are currently listed as hard to obtain, with some already marked as full supply shortages. The situation is most severe for children’s antibiotics, a key treatment during the cold season, as well as medicines for asthma and ADHD.

Pharmacy representatives stress that while fever remedies, cough syrups and other common cold treatments are still sufficiently stocked, the stability of that supply is uncertain once demand rises. They caution that the shortages of pediatric antibiotics and chronic disease treatments reveal weaknesses in the system that cannot be solved by seasonal stopgaps.

Dependence on Asia weakens supply security

Experts identify structural dependency on Asia as a root cause of these recurring shortages. Most active ingredients and finished medicines now come from factories in China and India. When production there stalls or exports are restricted, the impact is felt in Germany almost immediately. Industry leaders point out that Germany, once known as the “pharmacy of the world,” has ceded this role to Asian producers.

This dependency became visible in recent years when patients and doctors searched in vain for antibiotics and cancer treatments. The supply of tamoxifen, used against breast cancer, was disrupted in 2024, and pharmacies again had to improvise. These repeated gaps demonstrate the vulnerability of globalized supply chains, where bottlenecks in faraway factories can directly translate into shortages for German patients.

Calls for European production and stockpiles

Pharmacist associations and social organizations call for urgent action to prevent another winter of shortages. They demand the diversification of production sites and more investment in European pharmaceutical manufacturing. The EU has already proposed programs to strengthen regional production, but experts argue that progress has been too slow.

Another proposal is to expand stockpiles of critical medicines. Health insurers, such as AOK, have pressed for broader reserves, but questions remain about costs, storage, and whether stockpiling can realistically cover high seasonal demand. Advocates argue that proper reserves combined with stronger regional production could shield patients from the worst effects of global disruptions.

Bureaucracy and pharmacy flexibility

Beyond production issues, pharmacists highlight the burden of bureaucracy in responding to shortages. Current regulations make it difficult for pharmacies to quickly substitute equivalent medicines or adapt to missing products. Associations argue that giving pharmacists more flexibility would allow faster responses and reduce the stress on families searching for medicines.

Social organizations echo these demands, warning that shortages especially burden vulnerable groups, including the elderly, chronically ill and people with disabilities. They stress that pharmacy-level flexibility is only one part of the solution, but a necessary measure while larger structural reforms are still pending.

A repeating winter crisis

The situation is not new. Over the past winters, hundreds of medicines have repeatedly been in short supply, forcing parents, doctors and pharmacists to look for alternatives. In many cases, hospitals and clinics have had to change treatment plans at short notice, delaying care or using less effective substitutes.

The warning from pharmacy leaders is clear: without structural reform, Germany faces another winter where essential medicines may not be available when needed. While some common treatments remain accessible for now, the uncertainty surrounding critical pediatric and chronic care medicines highlights the urgency of action.