Terms of use

Privacy

Privacy Settings

Imprint

Contact Us

Carolina Teichmann Cravo

Get in touch and send us an email.

Want to know more?

Linkedin

Facebook

About Us

Why Redcare?

Facts & Figures

Public Affairs

Our Company

About Redcare

News & Events

Sign up

Newsroom

Our Impact

Sustainability

Overview

Share

News

Events and Publications

Corporate Governance

Contact

Investor Relations

Our Culture

Teams

Jobs

FAQs

Career

No results found

About us

Careers

LinkedIn

Twitter

Particularly strong in rural areas: Study confirms contribution of online pharmacies to nationwide supply.

Sevenum, the Netherlands, 22 January 2025. Market leader Redcare Pharmacy welcomes the first robust and comprehensive study on the role of online pharmacies in Germany. The IEGUS study highlights the contribution of online pharmacies to ensuring the availability of medicines across the country. An analysis of order data spanning several years underscores their particular importance in rural areas of Germany.

Online pharmacies have become an established pillar of pharmaceutical supply in Germany, playing a critical role in providing access to medicines for people living in rural areas. The study, published by the EAEP (European Association of E-Pharmacies), of which Redcare Pharmacy is a member, clearly demonstrates that online pharmacies have been reliably offering convenient and easy access to medicines throughout Germany for years.

Regular deliveries to all postal code areas in Germany.

Anonymised order data from recent years provided by leading online pharmacies show that all[1] postal code areas in Germany are regularly served. This underscores the established role of online pharmacies as a key pillar of pharmaceutical supply across the country.

Online pharmacies ensure access particularly in rural areas.

An analysis of per capita deliveries reveals that these are highest in regions with medium and low population density—a trend that has remained consistent for years.

In 2023, postal code areas with medium population density recorded the highest per capita deliveries, with 0.42 medicine shipments per person. Areas with low population density followed closely with 0.41 shipments per person, while urban regions saw a median of 0.33 shipments per person.

Olaf Heinrich, CEO of Redcare Pharmacy and Vice President of the EAEP, comments:

"This study provides the first data-driven insight into the significant role online pharmacies already play in supplying medicines across Germany. Our strong presence in rural areas demonstrates our relevance to ensuring a sustainable pharmaceutical supply for the future of Germany."

About the IEGUS study on the contribution of online pharmacies to nationwide supply:

The study was conducted by the independent research institute IEGUS (Institute for European Health and Social Economy GmbH) on behalf of the European Association of E-Pharmacies (EAEP). It examines the contribution of online pharmacies to nationwide pharmaceutical supply in Germany through a scientifically based data and literature analysis.

The analysis draws on anonymized order data from 2019 to 2023, provided by selected EAEP member companies. The data illustrate the development of online orders for prescription and over-the-counter medicines over the years. It enables insights down to the postal code level and correlates with population density in the respective areas.

The anonymized order data analyzed by IEGUS for the study was provided by the following companies: apo.com Group, Atida, DocMorris, and Redcare Pharmacy, represented by Shop Apotheke and Europa Apotheek.

The full study, including numerous charts and analyses, can be downloaded under “Position Papers & Documents” here: 

https://www.redcare-pharmacy.com/about-us/public-affairs.

Sven Schirmer, Director Corporate Communications

Carolina Teichmann Cravo, Senior Communications Manager

carolina.teichmanncravo@redcare-pharmacy.com

Originally founded in 2001, Redcare Pharmacy N.V. (formerly known as Shop Apotheke Europe N.V.) today is the leading e-pharmacy in Europe, currently active in seven countries: Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Headquartered in Sevenum, close to the Dutch city of Venlo and in the heart of Europe, the company has locations in Cologne, Berlin, Munich, Tongeren, Warsaw, Milan, Lille and Eindhoven.

As the one-stop pharmacy of the future, Redcare Pharmacy offers over 12 million active customers a wide range of more than 150,000 products at attractive and fair prices. Besides OTC, nutritional supplements, beauty and personal care products (BPC) as well as an extensive assortment of health-related products in all markets, the company also provides prescription drugs for customers in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Pharmaceutical safety is of top priority. Being a pharmacy at its core, Redcare stands for comprehensive pharmaceutical consultation service. Since care is at the heart of everything Redcare does, the company provides services for all stages of life and health. This ranges from its marketplaces to unique delivery options and medication management.

Redcare Pharmacy N.V. has been listed on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (Prime Standard) since 2016. As of 19 June 2023, the company is a member of the MDAX selection index.

 17 postal code areas with a total of 150 inhabitants (0.00002 percent of the German population) were excluded from the analysis to meet data protection requirements and ensure meaningful insights.

Market leader Redcare Pharmacy welcomes the first robust and comprehensive study on the role of online pharmacies in Germany.