Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker

The Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker e.V. (ADKA) is the German federal professional association and specialist society for clinical pharmacy and hospital pharmacy. Its abbreviation ADKA derives from its former name, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker. The association represents the interests of all hospital pharmacists in Germany and is organized as a registered voluntary association (eingetragener Verein). It operates through three sub-entities: ADKA e.V., ADKA-Akademie für Krankenhauspharmazie gGmbH, and ADKA-Service GmbH. The ADKA traces its origins to 1911, when the "Vereinigung der Leiter der Anstaltsapotheken für das Deutsche Reich" was founded to give hospital pharmacists a forum for regular exchange and to address scientific, economic and legal matters. Today it is a network of more than 3,000 members organized in 14 active regional associations (Landesverbände). It is a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) and participates in the evidence-based and interprofessional development of treatment guidelines. The association's core fields of action are drug therapy safety (Arzneimitteltherapiesicherheit, AMTS), patient protection, and the quality and economic efficiency of drug therapy. Its stated goal is effective, safe and cost-effective drug therapy for all hospital patients. A central focus is "Closed Loop Medication Management" — the end-to-end digitalization of the prescribing process using clinical expert systems combined with the widespread deployment of ward pharmacists (Stationsapotheker). In the federal state of Lower Saxony, the mandatory use of ward pharmacists is already required by law. The ADKA scientific office supports this process scientifically, integrates it into the AMTS action plan of the Federal Ministry of Health, and promotes cooperation with medical specialist societies. The ADKA issues guidelines for hospital pharmacists; as of January 2024 it had published 9 ADKA guidelines. It has also formulated 22 theses in its ADKA-Thesenpapier covering the safety and quality of drug therapy, drug information and drug manufacturing, as well as the quality of education and training, pharmaceutical logistics, and the economic efficiency of drug therapy. Further tasks include representing hospital pharmacy vis-à-vis federal and state governments, corporations and professional organizations in the healthcare sector; cooperating with pharmaceutical associations nationally and internationally; safeguarding the professional and social interests of hospital pharmacists; publishing its own specialist journal "Krankenhauspharmazie"; and public relations work. The association is governed by a Präsidium (executive board) of five members elected by the members' assembly — the President, 1st Vice-President, Junior President, Secretary and Treasurer — and a Vorstand (board) comprising the Präsidium plus the chairs of the 14 regional associations. A full-time managing director leads the association's business and heads the capital office in Berlin. The association seat is in Munich. As of June 2026, the President is Jochen Schnurrer, chief pharmacist at Universitätsklinikum Essen; the 1st Vice-President is Dagmar Horn; the Junior President is Lauretta Reisdörfer; the Treasurer is Max Kretzschmar; the Secretary is Elke Dechandt; and the managing director is Christopher Jürgens. The ADKA has 16 committees elected by the members' assembly covering topics such as drug information, pharmaceutical interventions, anti-infective therapy, intensive care and clinical nutrition, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, electronic prescribing, education and training, quality management, strategic management, clinical studies, manufacturing and analytics, unit dose, medical devices and pharmaceutical logistics. The ADKA-Stiftung zur Förderung der klinischen Pharmazie e.V.

The organization that became the Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker e.V. (ADKA) was founded in 1911 as the "Vereinigung der Leiter der Anstaltsapotheken für das Deutsche Reich" (Association of the Heads of Institutional Pharmacies for the German Reich). Its purpose was to create a forum for hospital pharmacists in Germany for regular exchange and for addressing scientific, economic and legal matters, while also representing the special characteristics of hospital pharmacy within and outside the pharmacy profession. Over the decades the association evolved and was later known as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker (ADKA), from which the abbreviation ADKA derives. It eventually adopted its current name, Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker e.V., reflecting its role as a federal professional association. Today the association is a network of more than 3,000 members organized in 14 active regional associations (Landesverbände) led by regional chairs. It is a member of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften (AWMF) and participates as a specialist society in the evidence-based and interprofessional development of treatment guidelines. The association is structured into three sub-entities: ADKA e.V., ADKA-Akademie für Krankenhauspharmazie gGmbH, and ADKA-Service GmbH. Its organs are filled in personal union by the association leadership. The Präsidium consists of five members elected by the members' assembly: the President, 1st Vice-President, Junior President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Vorstand comprises the Präsidium plus the chairs of the 14 regional associations. A full-time managing director leads the association's business and heads the Hauptstadtbüro in Berlin. The association seat is in Munich. As of June 2026, the President is Jochen Schnurrer, chief pharmacist at Universitätsklinikum Essen; the 1st Vice-President is Dagmar Horn, pharmacist at Universitätsklinikum Münster; the Junior President is Lauretta Reisdörfer of Evangelisches Krankenhaus Köln-Kalk; the Treasurer is Max Kretzschmar, pharmacist at Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf; the Secretary is Elke Dechandt, pharmacist at St. Joseph Krankenhaus, Berlin; and the managing director is Christopher Jürgens. The ADKA's core fields of action are drug therapy safety (AMTS), patient protection, and the quality and economic efficiency of drug therapy. Its goal is effective, safe and cost-effective drug therapy for all hospital patients. A central focus is "Closed Loop Medication Management" — the end-to-end digitalization of the prescribing process using clinical expert systems combined with the widespread deployment of ward pharmacists (Stationsapotheker). In the federal state of Lower Saxony, the mandatory use of ward pharmacists is already required by law. The ADKA scientific office supports this process scientifically, integrates it into the AMTS action plan of the Federal Ministry of Health, and promotes cooperation especially with medical specialist societies. As of January 2024, the association had published 9 ADKA guidelines, systematically developed recommendations intended to support hospital pharmacists in deciding on appropriate procedures and measures for supplying patients with drugs and clinical-pharmaceutical services. In its ADKA-Thesenpapier the association formulated 22 theses addressing the safety and quality of drug therapy, drug information and drug manufacturing, as well as the quality of education, training and further education, the quality of pharmaceutical logistics, and the economic efficiency of drug therapy. Further tasks include representing hospital pharmacy vis-à-vis the federal government, the states, corporations, professional and other organizations in the healthcare sector; cooperating with pharmaceutical associations at national and international level; safeguarding and promoting the professional and social interests of hospital pharmacists; publishing the association's own specialist journal "Krankenhauspharmazie"; and public relations work. The association has 16 committees elected by the members' assembly, covering drug information, pharmaceutical interventions, anti-infective therapy, intensive care and clinical nutrition, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry/neurology/gerontopsychiatry, electronic prescribing, education and training, quality management and quality assurance, strategic management, clinical studies, manufacturing and analytics, unit dose, medical devices/medical gases/in-vitro diagnostics, and pharmaceutical logistics. The ADKA-Stiftung zur Förderung der klinischen Pharmazie e.V. supports young pharmacists through scholarships, for example pharmacy interns in their third examination section doing a six-month internship in a hospital pharmacy abroad, hospital pharmacists training as specialist pharmacists for clinical pharmacy, and hospital pharmacists after completing further training. The foundation also promotes international contact and exchange of pharmacists and the organization of seminars for young leaders, with a particular focus on supporting foreign internships and studies.

• 2026

  51st ADKA Annual Scientific Congress held in Düsseldorf under the motto "Future of Drug Therapy Safety – Young Ideas for Hospital Pharmacy".

• 2026

  As of June 2026, Jochen Schnurrer serves as President.

• 2024

  As of January 2024, 9 ADKA guidelines published.

• 1911

  Founded as "Vereinigung der Leiter der Anstaltsapotheken für das Deutsche Reich" to provide a forum for hospital pharmacists.

• Renamed Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker (ADKA), from which the abbreviation derives.

• Adopted current name Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker e.V.

The leading German professional association and specialist society for clinical pharmacy and hospital pharmacy, advocating for drug therapy safety, patient protection, and quality and economic efficiency in hospital drug therapy.

• ADKA guidelines

  Systematically developed recommendations to support hospital pharmacists in decisions on appropriate procedures and measures for supplying patients with drugs and clinical-pharmaceutical services. 9 published as of January 2024.

• ADKA-Thesenpapier

  Position paper with 22 theses on the safety and quality of drug therapy, drug information and manufacturing, education and training, pharmaceutical logistics, and economic efficiency.

• Krankenhauspharmazie

  The association's own specialist journal.

• ADKA Annual Scientific Congress

  Annual congress for hospital pharmacists; the 51st took place in Düsseldorf in 2026.

• ADKA Regional Congresses

  Regional congresses organized by the Landesverbände, e.g. North-East and South.

• ADKA-Akademie für Krankenhauspharmazie gGmbH

  Sub-entity for education and training in hospital pharmacy.

• ADKA-Service GmbH

  Service sub-entity of the association.

• ADKA-Stiftung zur Förderung der klinischen Pharmazie e.V.

  Foundation awarding scholarships to young pharmacists, including foreign internships and advanced training in clinical pharmacy.

• Closed Loop Medication Management
• Drug Therapy Safety (AMTS) action plan

1. 1ADKA - Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker e.V. (official website)adka.de
2. 2Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker (Wikidata)wikidata.org
3. 3Bundesverband Deutscher Krankenhausapotheker (German Wikipedia)de.wikipedia.org