The pharmacy reform law (Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz, ApoVWG) has been in force since 2 July 2026. It clearly widens what pharmacies are allowed to do: licensed pharmacists may draw venous blood after doctor-led training, and new pharmaceutical services are added. Here you will find the compact overview.
Update, 17 July 2026. Reordered into what already applies and what is still open. Added: the pharmacy fixed fee rises to 9.00 euros (9.50 euros from 1 January 2027), rapid tests are possible as a self-pay service, as is follow-up supply for long-term medication without a new prescription. The model curriculum for the venous blood draw is still not published (deadline 2 November 2026).
What exactly does the ApoVWG regulate?
The ApoVWG (Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz) expands the role of the pharmacy in healthcare. The core points are the venous blood draw by trained licensed pharmacists, new pharmaceutical services, wider vaccination offerings and a changed pay system. It has been in force since 2 July 2026.
The law was signed on 26 June 2026, published on 1 July 2026 in the Federal Law Gazette (2026 Part I No. 195) and came into force on 2 July 2026. Individual services only start once the respective specifications are published, for example the model curriculum for the venous blood draw. For pharmacies this means the frame is set, and the operational rollout happens step by step over the coming months.
What changes for pharmacies at a glance?
Four areas change: the venous blood draw becomes possible for trained licensed pharmacists, the pDL offering grows to ten services, the pay is partly renegotiated and vaccination offerings are widened. Capillary measurements are already possible today within established offerings.
- Blood draw: venous by trained licensed pharmacists, capillary already possible today
- Pharmaceutical services: ten pDL in total (five existing plus five new)
- Pay: existing pDL at fixed prices, new pDL currently under negotiation
- Deadlines: SOP within 2 months, model curriculum and pay within 4 months of entry into force
The four-point frame structures the whole reform. The venous blood draw is the biggest change, because it makes deeper lab analyses possible out of the pharmacy. The pharmaceutical services address the large pay pot that has so far gone largely unclaimed. Details on each point are on the in-depth pages of this guide.
Since when does the ApoVWG apply?
The ApoVWG has been in force since 2 July 2026. It was published on 1 July 2026 in the Federal Law Gazette 2026 Part I No. 195. As things stand, the deadlines named in the law run from entry into force, so from 2 July 2026, not from publication.
A common misunderstanding is that 1 July 2026 was the day of entry into force. It was the day of publication. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, entry into force is dated 2 July 2026. Individual provisions have staggered start points, but these do not affect the reform-wide date. We keep the full timeline in the ApoVWG deadline tracker.
What applies already, and what comes later?
The legal frame has applied since 2 July 2026 and the rollout is staggered. Pharmacies can use some of it right away: capillary measurements, rapid tests as a self-pay service and follow-up supply for long-term medication. The venous blood draw and wider vaccinations only start after the model curriculum, which is due by 2 November 2026 at the latest.
What already applies and what is still open
| Area |
Status |
From when |
| Capillary measurements (for example blood sugar, lipids) |
Possible |
Already today |
| Rapid tests as a self-pay service (for example influenza, norovirus) |
Possible |
Since 2 July 2026 |
| Follow-up supply for long-term medication without a new prescription |
Possible |
Since 2 July 2026 |
| Pharmacy fixed fee of 9.00 euros (9.50 euros from 1 January 2027) |
Applies |
Since 1 July 2026 |
| Venous blood draw by trained licensed pharmacists |
Open |
After the model curriculum (deadline 2 November 2026) |
| Wider vaccinations with inactivated vaccines |
Open |
After the model curriculum (deadline 2 November 2026) |
| Pay for the five new pDL |
Running |
Under negotiation until 2 November 2026 |
This split decides what you can already offer today and what you have to wait for. Capillary diagnostics is the low-threshold immediate entry, and the deeper venous track follows after the training. The raised pharmacy fixed fee of 9.00 euros also already applies since 1 July 2026, the first adjustment in over a decade.
Terms explained quickly
- ApoVWG is the Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz, the pharmacy reform 2026, in force since 2 July 2026.
- Federal Law Gazette (BGBl.) is the official publication organ of the federal government, here published as 2026 Part I No. 195.
- pDL are pharmaceutical services: paid advice and measurement services by the pharmacy.
- Entry into force is the day from which a law applies, for the ApoVWG 2 July 2026, which is not the same as publication.
Frequently asked questions
What does the abbreviation ApoVWG stand for?
ApoVWG stands for Apothekenversorgung-Weiterentwicklungsgesetz. It is meant to strengthen the role of the pharmacy in healthcare and widens, among other things, the options for blood draw and the range of pharmaceutical services. It has been in force since 2 July 2026 and was published in the Federal Law Gazette 2026 Part I No. 195.
Since when has the ApoVWG been in force?
The ApoVWG has been in force since 2 July 2026. Publication in the Federal Law Gazette followed on 1 July 2026, the signing on 26 June 2026. The often-named 1 July 2026 therefore marks the publication and not the entry into force. As things stand, the legal deadlines run from entry into force.
Are pharmacies now allowed to draw blood?
Yes, the law provides for it. The venous blood draw is permitted for licensed pharmacists once they have successfully completed doctor-led training. In practice it can only start once the model curriculum is published and the training is completed. Capillary measurements are already possible today within established offerings.
What are the most important deadlines of the reform?
As things stand: standard operating procedures within two months, the model curriculum for the venous blood draw within four months and the pay negotiation for new pDL within four months of entry into force. If no agreement is reached, the arbitration body decides within twelve weeks. Details are in the deadline tracker.
How many pharmaceutical services are there now?
After the reform there are ten pharmaceutical services in total: five existing ones with fixed prices from the 2022 arbitration award and five new ones. Eight of the ten services need no doctor's prescription, two of them do. The pay for the five new pDL is currently under negotiation (as of 17 July 2026).
Are PTAs allowed to draw blood under the ApoVWG?
As things stand this is not provided for. In the law, the venous blood draw is reserved for licensed pharmacists who have completed the doctor-led training. Pharmacists in practical training may only carry out the puncture under supervision. PTAs are not named in the blood draw rule, but they are named separately for vaccinations.
What can my pharmacy already do now without waiting for the model curriculum?
Quite a lot is usable right away: capillary measurements within established offerings, rapid tests as a self-pay service (for example for influenza or norovirus) and the follow-up supply of patients on long-term medication without a new doctor's prescription. The venous blood draw and wider vaccinations only start after the model curriculum, which is due by 2 November 2026 at the latest.
What changes about pharmacy pay through the reform?
The pharmacy fixed fee rises in two steps: to 9.00 euros since 1 July 2026 and to 9.50 euros from 1 January 2027. It is the first adjustment in over a decade. The pay for the five new pharmaceutical services is negotiated separately between the DAV and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds and is not yet settled.
Sources
As of 17 July 2026. Aniva Health editorial team, no warranty. Please check with your state pharmacists' chamber and your business liability insurer before you start.
Read on in the guide
For pharmacies
Aniva delivers the complete diagnostics behind the blood draw: lab, the result and the app report. You sell, we deliver. Learn more at Aniva for pharmacies and on the page for pharmacy diagnostics.
