Verdun. "Jobs are going to be lost!": Striking Meuse pharmacists warn of the consequences of government reforms

"We were applauded during the Covid-19 crisis and now this is our thanks? Our resources are being taken away!" storms Pierre-Yves Perrin.

This pharmacist from Thierville-sur-Meuse, like many colleagues at the departmental and national levels, closed his pharmacy this Saturday, August 16. According to the USPO (Union of Pharmacists' Unions), 92% of pharmacies are expected to be closed today in France.

In Verdun, the Vauban pharmacy, however, is not displaying its closed doors. "I am the pharmacist on duty, requisitioned but on strike," Jean-Claude Ciret firmly announces.

The cause? A decree published on August 6, 2025, which provides for a reduction in pharmacists' discounts on generic drugs. Starting September ¹ , the discount granted by laboratories to pharmacies will drop from 40% to 30%, then to 20% by 2027. "Generic drugs are a significant source of our income," exclaim worried pharmacists. "Without this income, jobs will disappear."

To protest against the government and raise public awareness, a handful of pharmacists from Verdun, Belleville-sur-Meuse, and Thierville-sur-Meuse gathered in front of the on-call pharmacy this Saturday morning, August 16. Patients were contacted and invited to sign a petition to "defend" pharmacies, treatments, and their health.

"We're taking joint action," says Audrey Thiercy of the Saint-Paul pharmacy in Verdun. "[…] I'm the type of pharmacy that risks closing if our margins are cut too much. I set up shop five years ago, others have been doing so for less time. I still have a loan to repay, and they want to take away our resources."

In 2024, 290 pharmacies closed, and according to the French Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions (FSPF), 1,200 rural pharmacies are in serious financial difficulty. "With the reduction in discounts, it will be much more," laments Luc Henrion, a pharmacist in Belleville-sur-Meuse, while his colleagues list the closures in the Meuse region.

" Souilly, Triaucourt, Marville... When a rural pharmacy closes, it's devastating for the population! And in Verdun, if pharmacies close, we'll also have difficulty keeping up with on-call duty! We could be forced to reduce hours or even stop giving patients as much time as we do, while our country is already suffering from a shortage of doctors and emergency services that are operating in degraded mode ."

Another source of anger: the doubling of medical deductibles, which went from 50 cents per box of medication to €1 in March 2024 and which is expected to double again, as well as their collection at the counter.

"It's a no! I'll never collect them!" exclaims a Verdun pharmacist, while another says she doesn't feel up to the task of dealing with the anger of some patients. "We're not Social Security agents!"

Meuse pharmacists hope to make their voices heard. A national scale-up of action is planned for the start of the school year.