There are many pharmacies on the streets and alleys in Germany. Some are located under train stations, commercial streets or office buildings, and some are located on the ground floor of residential buildings. Their red Apotheke pharmacy icon is very eye-catching.
The first time you see the snake-shaped pattern on the icon, you will be very puzzled. What does this have to do with pharmacies or medicines?
The Apotheke pharmacy icon in Germany now follows the design plan of West Germany at that time. The capital Gothic red letter A and the white snake holy grail have been designated by the German Patent Office as the official logo of the German Pharmacists Association.
The icon has been used since 1951, and consists of a snake-shaped pattern symbolizing the god of medicine Asclepius and a medicine cup. The snake wrapped around the staff of the Greek god of medicine is regarded as a symbol of the healer. The entire icon is also called the "Holy Cup of Healthy Women".
In Germany, medicines are only sold in pharmacies, and doctors in clinics or hospitals cannot sell medicines privately. Pharmacies specialize in providing various types of medicines to the public, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs.
Pharmacists can provide customers with professional medicine and medication consultation. For example, when customers buy prescription drugs, they will inform them of medication precautions and possible side effects of medication; if customers want to buy non-prescription drugs, pharmacists will provide medication recommendations for them , Explain the possible side effects of drugs and the possible interactions between them when multiple drugs are used together.
If customers want to buy prescription drugs, they must show a prescription issued by a doctor. Otherwise, the pharmacy will strictly refuse to sell prescription drugs to customers who do not have a prescription.
German medical insurance covers a wide range, and generally people living in Germany will be required to get good medical insurance. If a customer purchases public insurance, he will be required to pay a few euros for the processing fee when purchasing prescription drugs, and the remaining costs can be directly written off; if the customer purchases private insurance, he needs to advance the payment by himself, and then pay the drug purchase bill and The prescription is sent to the insurance company for reimbursement. Generally speaking, non-prescription drugs are not reimbursed.
Prescription drugs in German pharmacies are priced by manufacturers, so the prices of prescription drugs in various pharmacies will not have much difference. OTC drugs are not subject to strict pricing constraints, so various pharmacies regularly discount some OTC drugs. It is very cost-effective to buy medicine during the discount period.
German pharmacies not only sell medicines, but also some health care products, nutrition products, baby care products, skin care products, etc. Some famous European cosmeceutical brands can be purchased in German pharmacies. It can be said that this kind of operation is very flexible-many people who travel to Germany will also go to the pharmacy.
Most pharmacies in Germany have the same opening hours as ordinary stores, for example, they are closed on Sundays. However, every city will have a pharmacy that is always open, such as a 24-hour pharmacy. The pharmacy at the train station is also open on Sundays. If you encounter an emergency during non-store opening hours, you need to search for these delayed pharmacies nearby.
Pharmacies can be said to be an important part of German life. Elderly people often go to the pharmacy in the living area near their homes. In addition to buying medicines, they also chat with pharmacists. The pharmacist also knows well about the elderly who live nearby and take long-term medication to treat chronic diseases.
For young people, pharmacies are just places to go occasionally. But many times we can see that young Germans choose skin care products or care products in it. Young parents will also bring their children to buy some commonly used children's spare medicines. In pharmacies, visitors often ask pharmacists what are the most famous and effective standing over-the-counter medicines or health products in Germany.
In Germany, the Apotheke red pharmacy icon that can be seen everywhere is probably the icon most familiar to residents.
