Streit über Werbung: Apothekerkammer lässt Geld bei DocMorris pfänden

A long-standing dispute between the Online competitor DocMorris and traditional apothecaries has resulted in a setback for the e-commerce giant. According to reports from the Pharmazeutischen Zeitung (PZ) and other media outlets, DocMorris recently had money frozen in the Netherlands at the request of the Nordrhein Apothekerkammer.

DocMorris had lost court cases in Stuttgart years ago related to advertising practices and discounts. Despite these losses, DocMorris continued to operate, leading apothecaries to seek administrative fines in Germany, which were not granted. In retaliation, German apothecaries successfully obtained a court order in the Netherlands to freeze the funds.

DocMorris confirmed to a request that the dispute was "merely the enforcement of administrative fines in the high five to low six-digit Euro range," with no strategic significance and no impact on their operational business or financial stability. Despite this, DocMorris decided to appeal to finalize the legal situation. While the company is located near Aachen on the Dutch border, its business primarily operates in Germany, benefiting from the internal market and cross-border trade without drawbacks for the foreign company.

As a pharmaceutical company, DocMorris cannot have its headquarters in Germany, where the wholesale of medications is reserved for traditional apothecaries. The emerging online competitor poses a threat to the apothecaries, who complain about unequal competition conditions and warn of potential damage to in-person healthcare if stationary pharmacies face losses due to online competition. DocMorris argues that an EU foreign supplier should not face discriminatory treatment.