Bundesrat Approves Pharmacy Reform and Pension Adjustment

Pharmacies will also have more leeway in dispensing medications. "In narrowly defined cases, the one-time dispensing of prescription-only medications without a prescription should also be possible if an ongoing therapy cannot be interrupted," according to the regulation. Medications with a high potential for misuse or dependency are excluded, however. In cases of acute, uncomplicated illnesses, over-the-counter dispensing should also become possible, though the specific conditions to be covered still need to be determined.

New Rules on Medications and Staff

A job-sharing model will be introduced for pharmacy management, allowing pharmacists to share leadership of a pharmacy in the future. Where a pharmacist is missing, an experienced pharmaceutical-technical assistant will be allowed to take over the pharmacy on a trial basis. There are also plans to raise the so-called pharmacy fixed fee—a flat-rate amount that the pharmacy receives from the health insurance fund to offset its fixed operating costs. The emergency service flat rate will also be increased significantly, and a subsidy for partial emergency services will be introduced. "The increase in payments will, however, be at the expense of the statutory health insurance funds," it is explicitly stated.

Pensions to Rise on July 1

In addition to the pharmacy reform, the Bundesrat also approved the pension adjustment: "From July 1, pensions will rise by 4.24 percent." The adjustment is based on the development of gross wages in the previous year, to which pension development is tied. "According to the Federal Ministry of Labour, this means an increase of 77.85 euros per month for a standard pension with 45 contribution years."

Tougher Sanctions for Protection Order Violations

In parallel, the upper house passed tightenings to protection order law. "In the future, courts can require offenders to wear electronic ankle monitors to better enforce restraining orders," according to the draft. "Electronic monitoring of whereabouts will thereby be regulated more clearly under federal law and expanded." If the offender falls below the set distance, the victim will be informed via a warning system.

"In addition, sanctions for violations of protection orders will be tightened," the Bundesrat explained. Family courts should in the future be able to require offenders, following violent offenses or threats, to participate in social training courses or violence prevention programs. Courts' access to data from the weapons register will also be facilitated.