Section 20 of the German Pharmacy Operations Ordinance requires pharmacies to inform and advise customers about medicines. This is the pharmacist’s duty. Other trained staff may take it over only if the pharmacy manager has set this down in writing or electronically.
When a pharmacy hands over a medicine, it must ask. The rule says it must find out inwieweit dieser gegebenenfalls weiteren Informations- und Beratungsbedarf hat, whether the customer may need more information and advice, and offer that advice. For medicines bought without a prescription, there is a second check. The pharmacy must find out whether the medicine zur Anwendung bei der vorgesehenen Person geeignet erscheint, appears suitable for the person who will use it. It must also say when that person should see a doctor.
In 2018 the science program Quarks tested how well pharmacies give this advice.