Lower Saxony: No need for consultation hours by pharmacies

As of February 11, 2026, pharmacies in Lower Saxony will no longer supply medical practices with medicines and medical aids, such as vaccines, for consultations. The Lower Saxony State Association of Pharmacists (LAV) announced this in a press release.

Accordingly, the LAV has terminated the corresponding Annex 1 to the pharmaceutical supply agreement with AOK Lower Saxony, the IKK State Association of Lower Saxony, the Agricultural Health Insurance Fund Lower Saxony-Bremen, and the Seafarers' Health Insurance Fund Hamburg (primary insurance agreement) effective December 31, 2025. A transition period of six weeks will follow.

According to the LAV, after this transitional period has expired, the contractual basis for pharmacies to supply and bill for consultation supplies to medical practices will no longer be in place. The LAV cites the "lack of discernible willingness of health insurance companies to negotiate their own agreement on the supply and billing of consultation supplies with appropriate economic conditions for pharmacies in Lower Saxony" as the reason for the termination.

"Since 2017, we have been repeatedly seeking dialogue with the statutory health insurance funds in Lower Saxony to create a new contractual basis for the supply of pharmacy services for consultation needs with appropriate economic conditions for pharmacies, so far without success," said Berend Groeneveld, Chairman of the Board of the LAV, explaining the termination of the facility.

"The economic conditions for pharmacies supplying consultation supplies have not been adjusted for over a decade. We therefore resumed discussions with the health insurance companies on this issue this year. However, the draft regulations subsequently submitted by the health insurance companies clearly showed us that they deliberately ignore or misunderstand the LAV's request for a separate agreement on the supply and billing of consultation supplies with appropriate economic conditions for pharmacies," said Groeneveld.

The LAV chairman speaks of a "stalling tactic" by the health insurance companies that will no longer be tolerated. "The termination we are now initiating is the only way to get the health insurance companies to act," said Groeneveld.

According to the LAV, the termination of the contractual basis for the supply and billing of outpatient supplies means that pharmacies will no longer be able to supply and bill for outpatient supplies as of February 11, 2026. "We are available for negotiations," emphasizes Groeneveld. The current developments will have no impact on the upcoming flu vaccination season this fall.