Imagine this situation: late in the evening or at night your child suddenly got sick, or you yourself felt a sharp pain that requires immediate medicine. Until now, finding an open pharmacy after 10:00 PM in Slovakia was a real challenge. However, starting from September 2026, the situation will improve: Bratislava and Košice will get 24-hour pharmacies (pharmacies open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), including weekends and holidays. If this project proves successful, the Minister of Health, Kamil Šaško, promises to expand the network of 24-hour pharmacies to other regions of the country.
Where and when will the 24-hour pharmacy open?
Residents of Košice and nearby areas will be able to buy medicine around the clock at the pharmacy located on the premises of the University Hospital named after L. Pasteur (Univerzitná nemocnica L. Pasteura) on Rastislavova street. This will be an existing pharmacy that will change its working hours. The launch of the 24-hour mode is expected within two to three months due to necessary administrative and organizational procedures.
Why is this important?
The Vice President of the Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists (Slovenská lekárnická komora) Miroslava Snopková emphasizes that in the 21st century 24-hour pharmacy service is the norm. These pharmacies are intended for patients who received help in the emergency department or urgent care, for parents with sick children, for people after sudden health complications, and also for those to whom a doctor prescribed a Recept (prescription) late in the evening or at night.
Currently, the only 24-hour pharmacy in Slovakia is located in Prešov (Prešov), which caused significant inconvenience for residents of other large cities. Thanks to new initiatives, access to medicines at any time of day will become much easier.
