Germany: pharmacists favor medical cannabis, but want more information

An organization tasked with analyzing the pharmaceutical market in Germany recently conducted a survey on the industry's opinion on medical cannabis. Approximately 500 pharmacists participated in online interviews for Aposcope. The results – published by the specialized journal Apotheke Adhoc – could shed light on and guide how companies approach the medical cannabis sector in the country. Pharmacists play a key role in the distribution of medical cannabis in Germany, as they are the only legal point of sale.

Three-quarters of pharmacists believe that the German market for medical cannabis will continue to grow, and among this group, 15% said that growth would be strong. This confirms the sharp increase in therapeutic cannabis imports in 2019 in Germany, mainly due to the expansion of medical conditions allowing for a prescription.

About half of pharmacists believe they are well-informed about medical cannabis, but fewer than 51% responded that they were «very well» informed. The rest said they were poorly or very poorly informed. Employees say they need more information, particularly regarding billing (66%) and legal issues (63%). Information on prescriptions, approved medications, and product compositions is also desired.

Regarding the origin of this information, pharmacists mostly considered the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) to be a reliable source. Other sources considered reliable included federal pharmacist associations, the Federal Union of Associations of German Pharmacists, the German Pharmacists Association, and health insurance providers. Information from importers, distributors, or manufacturers came after these institutions, mainly due to the risk of them being more biased.

The domestic cultivation of cannabis in Germany is expected to begin in spring 2020, as Production licenses were recently granted.