Seehas pharmacy closes: Friedrichshafen meets Hard!

Seehas pharmacy closes: Friedrichshafen meets Hard!

The Seehas pharmacy has closed its branch in Friedrichstrasse in Friedrichshafen. This was announced on January 7, 2025. However, the pharmacy remains active at Metzstrasse 2. The closure was considered necessary by pharmacist Mirjam Engelhardt, who opened the Seehas pharmacy in the Metzqua almost nine years ago.

In 2021, the pharmacy took over the Bären pharmacy at Friedrichstrasse 44 with the hope of realizing planned synergy effects between the two locations. However, these plans failed because the pharmacy could not open regularly without a licenseed pharmacist. In addition, the pharmacy had closed several weeks last year due to vacation and illness. Other reasons for the closure are the weak customer frequency in Friedrichstrasse and the pressure on the margins due to health policy.

of the shortage of skilled workers as the main problem

A central problem that contributed to closure is the shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare system. According to a study by the competence center skilled workers (Kofa) of the Institute of German Economy (IW), 47,436 positions are currently vacant in the healthcare system. On average 2023/2024, around 47,400 jobs could not be filled with qualified applicants. The biggest bottlenecks revolve around physiotherapists, dental assistants as well as health and nursing.

The closure of the Friedrichstrasse branch is part of a larger trend: demographic change is expected to further tighten the problem of shortage of skilled workers, since the aging population leads to an increasing need for health services. The Mirjam Engelhardt hopes to be able to bundle the qualified employees and the advisory skills in Metzstrasse, just 140 meters from the former location. Engelhardt also operates two other pharmacies in Waldburg and green cabbage.

-transmitted by West-East media