Medicinal Plants are Big Business in Germany .Dw-world,de. Feb 5, 2008. Each year, 45,000 tons of medicinal plants are used in Germany — more than in any other European country. But this booming business also creates problems for species preservation.Drugs made from medicinal plants have become ever more popular among doctors and patients in Germany in recent years. Around 75 percent of customers in German pharmacies reach for a natural product when they buy non-prescription medications. In 2006, so-called phytopharmaceuticals accounted for around 2 billions euros ($2.9 billion) worth of revenue, or about a third of the total revenue in non-prescription medications. That translates into a high demand for the raw materials for these products — medicinal plants and their leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds.[ See ]