The planned reform of Germany's intelligence-service legislation is intended to adapt the Federal Intelligence Service and the domestic intelligence service to a more severe security environment. The federal cabinet adopted the drafts on 12 August 2026; the parliamentary process now follows. Medical and pharmaceutical bodies identify a central gap: under the current concept, health professionals would not receive the same absolute protection as certain other holders of professional secrets.
Why patient confidentiality is central
Patients regularly share highly sensitive information about illnesses, treatment, medicines and personal circumstances with doctors, psychotherapists and pharmacists. This openness is essential to safe advice, diagnosis and treatment. Even the concern that such information could become part of state intelligence gathering may weaken trust in healthcare.
ABDA demands absolute protection for pharmacists
The ABDA statement criticises the proposal to give pharmacists only relative protection subject to case-by-case balancing. In its view, this is insufficient: the relationship between pharmacist and patient is based on highly personal health information and should be included in the absolute protection of Section 32 of the Federal Constitutional Protection Act.
Medical bodies identify the same gap
The German Medical Association likewise calls for medical confidentiality to be expressly protected in absolute terms. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians also includes psychotherapists and warns of constitutional and practical consequences if professional secret holders are placed in different protection tiers.
Healthcare depends on trust
The issue goes beyond professional interests. Confidentiality protects individual patients and the proper functioning of healthcare. Pharmacists, doctors and psychotherapists are therefore calling for the bill to be amended before the parliamentary process is completed.
What happens next
The decisive question will be whether Parliament aligns the safeguards for professional secret holders. tiger.PHARMA will follow the proceedings with a focus on pharmacies, pharmaceutical advice and the handling of sensitive health data.