In the wake of a lawsuit filed by the competition authority Wettbewerbszentrale, Christoph Werner, the CEO of DM, defended the company’s sales of over‑the‑counter medicines through its online pharmacy as a contribution to an affordable health system. Speaking with the TV channel Welt on Thursday, he said that DM’s actions are fully in line with the applicable legal requirements. Werner believes that Germany’s health system must undergo reform to continue delivering high‑quality care, noting that insurance contributions are structured as wage‑related costs so that the company won’t be driven out of competition by excessively high wage‑piece rates.
DM’s distribution is carried out through a licensed pharmacy in the Czech Republic. Werner explained that the company could also sell the products from Germany, but current legislation mandates that the sales occur from abroad. He maintains that the drugstore‑based model addresses demographic shifts, growing health awareness among the public, and the overload of the health system-particularly the long waits that people face when trying to secure appointments with doctors.
The rising costs of the health system also necessitate reform, Werner pointed out. He referenced the increasing subsidies from the federal budget into health insurance, which aim to prevent wage‑related costs from escalating too high. He expects these changes to unfold over time.
Since the end of December, DM has been selling non‑prescription medicines through its online portal.