Deutsche Post welcomes government plan for online medicine trading

Deutsche Post, the German postal service operator, hopes to increase business substantially if German government plans to liberalise the trading of medicines via the internet go ahead. The German company already holds a stake of around 10 per cent in Mediservice, the Swiss mail order pharmacy, which currently counts around 300,000 deliveries annually.

The participation in Mediservice has given Deutsche Post insight into customer requirements, although its involvement in the direct transportation of medicines is still minimal. Plans by the German ministry of health to allow the trading of medicines online, subject to conditions, has met with opposition by pharmacists, who fear loss of business and possible risks to patients.