Rezeptfreie Medikamente: Rechtsstreit um Online-Apotheke von dm - Fakten zum Mitreden

Two weeks ago, dm defended its in-store eye screening service in Karlsruhe District Court. Today, the dispute takes place in the same venue regarding dm-med, its online pharmacy. The key points are as follows: dm began selling non-prescription, pharmacy-compulsory medicines like certain painkillers online shortly before Christmas 2025.

For this, the German company established a Czech subsidiary specifically for the purpose. dm-med can be accessed via the dm homepage and is referred to as a partner. The criticism comes from the Competition Center, which is suing dm before the Karlsruhe District Court. The association, which represents leading German business associations, aims to essentially ban the online pharmacy.

Specifically, dm is supposed to prevent offering and/or selling and/or circulating pharmacy-compulsory medicines to end consumers. The parties dispute whether dm-med constitutes an offer by dm itself or whether it is sufficiently separate from the competitor's offer, which relates to drugstore articles. The case involves competition law, the Medicines Act, and the Pharmacy Operating Rules. dm states that it has not changed anything on its online platform since its introduction and complies with the law.

The company launched a nationwide communication campaign at the beginning of the month to demonstrate how simple it is to purchase drugstore articles and pharmacy products from dm and dm-med in a single order. The claim is "everything together. Simple ordering." The lawsuit is not necessarily concluded with a judgment from the District Court.

If a party files a legal claim, the next instance would be the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court. The Federal Court of Justice would be responsible thereafter. dm's Marketing + Procurement Executive, Sebastian Bayer, made it clear before the trial that getting legal certainty is important. The Competition Center wants to examine the reasons for the judgment to determine if it is worthwhile to file a legal claim.

The interest in the online pharmacy is significant. According to dm, a quarter of dm-med customers purchase exclusively from this range. The remaining 75 percent would also buy other drugstore articles in their shopping cart. However, dm does not disclose the share of revenue that dm-med currently represents. Nonetheless, drugstore purchases still dominate, with no other products from dm-med's range.

The online business at dm is growing mainly due to the online pharmacy. No figures have been provided for this aspect. Customers at dm-med are generally older, and more men shop there. Overall, the use of medicines is increasing online, with online pharmacies like Redcare Pharmacy (formerly Shop Apotheke) and DocMorris reporting rising demand.

Medicines are increasingly being purchased online, and online pharmacies like Redcare Pharmacy and DocMorris are seeing increased demand. The category of medicines has been a winner in online commerce, with sales growing by six percent last year, according to the German E-Commerce and Logistics Association (Bevh). One important reason for the growth is the introduction of e-prescriptions in 2024. dm is considering expanding its range of services, including selling veterinary medicines in pharmacies.

Many inquiries have been received for this purpose, according to Bayer. dm is also considering introducing an online pharmacy in other countries, such as Austria, where regulations are stricter than in Germany. Aspirin may also be sold in drugstores in Poland, which has looser regulations. Other companies' plans have not been disclosed.

Some pharmacists have warned that the combination of pharmacy and drugstore may confuse people with health problems and dilute the distinction between pharmacy and drugstore. Three-quarters of patients in pharmacies want to consult in-store about self-medication. The president of the German Association of Pharmacy Associations (ABDA), Thomas Preis, considers online trade, especially from abroad, as a stumbling block for comprehensive, locally accessible drug supply. The recent pharmacy reform may have missed an opportunity to adequately regulate online trade.