BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The number of pharmacies in Germany continues to shrink. At the end of September, there were still 17,187 pharmacies nationwide, according to a survey by the Federal Union of German Pharmacists' Associations. Since the beginning of the year, there have been a further 384 fewer. In the first nine months of this year, the decline was also more pronounced - in the previous year, there had been a drop of 335 outlets from January to the end of September. Both main pharmacies and branches, of which up to three can be operated, are recorded.

The federal association called on politicians to urgently stop the ever-accelerating decline. "Every pharmacy that has to close worsens the supply for thousands of patients because the distances to the nearest pharmacy then become longer," said President Gabriele Regina Overwiening. The sector also once again called for fee increases, which have been lacking for a long time./sam/DP/zb