Applying for an operating license for a hospital pharmacy
You require a license to operate a hospital pharmacy. You can apply for this from the local competent authority.
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Basic information
If you want to operate a hospital pharmacy as the owner of a hospital, you must apply for a permit to do so.
The hospital pharmacy is a functional unit of a hospital. It is responsible for the safe and proper supply of one or more hospitals with medicines and pharmacy-only medical products.
It also informs and advises doctors, nursing staff and patients about the medicines and medical devices used.
In order to obtain the operating license, you must provide evidence of the prescribed premises and employ a pharmacist who meets the requirements of the Pharmacy Act as a manager.
A hospital does not necessarily need its own hospital pharmacy, but can also be supplied by the pharmacy of another hospital or a public pharmacy (hospital-supplying pharmacy) on a contractual basis.
Requirements
- You must employ a pharmacist. This person must fulfill the requirements of the Pharmacy Act.
- Proof of the rooms required for hospital pharmacies in accordance with the Pharmacy Operating Regulations
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Procedure
- Please send the original documents by post to the official address given.
- As soon as the documents have been submitted in full, the application will be checked.
- For new premises, an acceptance inspection will take place before the operating license is issued.
- If documents are missing or questions need to be clarified, we will contact you.
More information
Legal remedy
- Action before the administrative court
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Necessary Documents
- Proof of the rooms required for a hospital pharmacy:
- Floor plan of the pharmacy premises
- The size, location, furnishings and function designations of the individual pharmacy operating rooms must be visible
- For new openings: copy of the building permit from the building supervisory authority
- Notification of the number of employees, broken down into specialist staff and other staff
- The following documents must be submitted by the head of the hospital pharmacy:
- identification document
- Tabular proof of activity after licensure as a pharmacist
- Licensing certificate (certified copy or presentation of the original document)
- Certificate of good conduct, document type 0 for submission to an authority
- Medical certificate of suitability to properly manage a pharmacy (not older than 3 months)
- Declaration via
- legal capacity (form Appendix 1)
- any criminal proceedings, professional tribunal proceedings and
- investigative proceedings and the authorization to exercise the profession with regard to the reliability check (form in Annex 1)
- the operation of other pharmacies (form in Annex 1)
- the complete existence of all contracts and agreements relating to the establishment and operation of the pharmacy
- Proof of the rooms required for a hospital pharmacy:
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Competent Department
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Fees / Costs
bis 1.500,00 EUR (status 2026)
Permission to operate a hospital pharmacy is subject to a fee in accordance with section 500.01 of the Bremen Healthcare Costs Ordinance.If an acceptance inspection is necessary, this will be charged separately in accordance with section 500.08.
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Deadlines & processing time
What deadlines must be paid attention to?
You may only start operating your hospital pharmacy once the competent authority has granted you permission to do so.
How long does it take to process
The processing time depends on the completeness of the documents to be submitted. Processing usually takes around 3 months.
This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.
The official information in German is complete and correct. 15.04.2026