FRANKFURT, Germany – A new map outlining the number of medical cannabis patients in Germany in relation to the country’s population, along with which regions have the most and least patients suggest online delivery of medical cannabis is heavily relied upon by patients who do not have local access to brick-and-mortar pharmacies that can supply cannabis treatment. The map is based on patient data from online medical cannabis hub Bloomwell Group. Key findings also include there are significantly more medical cannabis patients in relation to the population in the south of the country than in the north, and almost half of the cannabis patients in Germany do not have access to a brick-and-mortar pharmacy specializing in cannabis treatment within a 10-kilometer radius.
Preserving digital access and deliveries
This new patient map is especially timely, as Germany’s Ministry of Health has released a draft amendment to the country’s landmark Medical Cannabis Act that threatens to reverse hard-earned patient-centered progress by banning mail-order dispensing of medical cannabis treatments to patients, as well as mandating in-person consultations and enforcing stricter rules for prescriptions.
According to the map, half of all medical patients in Germany do not live within a 10-kilometer radius of a pharmacy that can supply treatment. Therefore, patient supply, especially of seriously ill people with limited mobility, highly depends on prescription deliveries through online pharmacies.
Upon analysis of the patient mapping data, Bloomwell Group executives infer that if the online delivery of medical cannabis prescriptions were restricted, the health of hundreds of thousands of patients would be at risk. Therefore, the current amendment will need to be altered before it can be passed. If not, the country would risk patients turning to the illicit market rather than seeking treatment through legalized, regulated channels. Fortunately, the Bloomwell team also concludes that it is very unlikely that the amendment will be passed in its current form, as the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), coalition partner of the governing Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), recently emphasized the importance of patient safety.
Upon analysis of the findings, Niklas Kouparanis, Co-Founder and CEO of Bloomwell Group, stated, “If half of cannabis patients cannot legally obtain their medication from a pharmacy within a 10-kilometer radius, what alternative remains for these medical patients besides turning to the illicit market? We are only at the very beginning of the legislative process, and given the severe potential consequences of the current draft for limiting the pharmaceutical care access of hundreds of thousands of chronically ill patients, I predict that this amendment will not be passed in its current form. Fortunately, the SPD parliamentary group has already emphasized that without solid evaluation results, they will not jeopardize patient safety through such drastic measures.”
About Bloomwell Group GmbH
Frankfurt-based Bloomwell Group is one of Europe’s leading companies for medical cannabis. Founded in 2020, it has become the central hub of a new cannabis ecosystem covering the entire value chain—except cultivation. Through innovation and full digitization of the therapy process, Bloomwell ensures effective and reliable patient care. It also contributes to the destigmatization of medical cannabis through real-world data-based research. Bloomwell is a European pioneer in telemedicine, digital payments, and individualized e-prescription solutions for medical cannabis. Today, it provides tens of thousands of patients, pharmacies, physicians, and wholesalers with a central digital infrastructure each month. Patients can receive personalized e-prescriptions via the Bloomwell platform, signed digitally by D-Trust, a company of the German Federal Printing Office.
Related Articles:
