The Pharmacists' Association expects its first members to get started next week or the week after, as spokesman Stefan Schmidt told the German Press Agency (dpa) on Wednesday (Jan. 12, 2022). The legal foundations have been laid, he said, and now the practical implementation can begin. In addition to preparing the premises, placing vaccine orders is also part of the process.

According to Schmidt, a three-digit number of pharmacies are expected to soon offer vaccination against Coronavirus. A survey, in which 200 of the approximately 800 pharmacies in Berlin participated, showed that about half of the participants could imagine administering Covid-19 vaccinations. A number of interested parties have already taken part in training courses, which are still ongoing. But not all of Berlin's pharmacists have suitable spaces available.

The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Berlin is critical of the involvement of pharmacies in the vaccination campaign - for various reasons. Schmidt countered these criticism, stating: "It is not the pharmacists' intention to discourage people from going to the doctor. Rather, it's about providing an additional service for those people who don't go to the doctor." So, he said, it is not about competing with doctors.