Pharmacy Redcare and Co's Contention: Electronic Prescriptions Prove More Unreliable Than Germany's Railways
The e-prescription system in Germany is currently experiencing significant reliability issues, with frequent outages and disruptions causing operational challenges for pharmacies and potential risks to patients' health. These problems have intensified in recent weeks, despite the system becoming mandatory on January 1, 2024[1][3].
Key issues include multiple days of total or partial outages, affecting tens of thousands of patients. For example, in the last two weeks before August 2025, five days of outages were reported[1]. These outages have been linked to failures in the Telematics Infrastructure (TI), including the TI gateway managed by service provider RISE, and disruptions in communication components such as electronic health cards and patient records[2][3].
Pharmacists have voiced strong complaints, likening the system’s unreliability to the poor performance of Deutsche Bahn trains[1]. The head of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists' Associations, Thomas Preis, has stated that the e-prescription is as unreliable as Deutsche Bahn[1]. The unreliability causes operational challenges in pharmacies, delays in medication dispensing, and risks to patients' health due to unavailability of prescriptions.
The German pharmacists' association (ABDA) and other professional bodies have urgently called on Gematik, the federal digital agency responsible for digital healthcare infrastructure, to enhance system stability and reliability[1][3]. The Free Pharmacists' Association is even exploring legal actions for compensations due to losses caused by system failures[2]. Pharmacies request greater flexibility to deliver medications during system downtime quickly and with less bureaucracy to mitigate risks to patients[1].
Solutions needed focus primarily on improving infrastructure robustness, better contingency protocols, enhanced provider accountability, and continuous monitoring and rapid response[1][2][3]. Redcare Pharmacy, a leading online pharmacy in Germany, is expected to continue benefiting from e-prescriptions in the coming quarters despite the ongoing issues with the e-prescription infrastructure. However, the ongoing problems may affect other online pharmacies that are part of the e-prescription ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Redcare Pharmacy has made a breakthrough with a recent BGH ruling[4]. Tomorrow is a decision day for Redcare Pharmacy's CardLink solution extension[5]. The head of the Federal Association of German Pharmacists' Associations emphasizes the need for maximum reliability in digital applications for electronic prescriptions[6]. Despite the challenges, speculative investors can continue to buy Redcare Pharmacy stocks, with a current stop at 82 euros[7]. A delayed train is annoying, but an inaccessible e-prescription can have serious consequences for people's health, according to Thomas Preis[6].
[1] https://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/E-Rezept-System-ausfällt-mehrfach-in-der-Vergangenheit-4498273.html [2] https://www.pharmapraxis.de/news/e-rezept-ausfall-abda-fordert-gematik-zu-system-stabilisierung-1094836 [3] https://www.apotheken-umschau.de/news/e-rezept-ausfall-abda-fordert-gematik-zu-system-stabilisierung-1094836 [4] https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/redcare-pharmacy-stellenwert-in-der-pharmabranche-6074541.html [5] https://www.pharmapraxis.de/news/redcare-pharmacy-cardlink-erweiterung-entscheidungstag-1095227 [6] https://www.pharmapraxis.de/news/thomas-preis-e-rezept-unzuverlaessig-als-deutsche-bahn-1094762 [7] https://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/redcare-pharmacy-stellenwert-in-der-pharmabranche-6074541.html
- The e-prescription system's unreliability, similar to the poor performance of Deutsche Bahn trains, poses operational challenges for pharmacies and potential risks to patients' health and wellness.
- In the digital health and wellness sector, there is a pressing need for enhanced system stability and reliability, as advocated by the German pharmacists' association and other professional bodies, to ensure medical-conditions are managed effectively with the aid of technology.
