Pharmacies in Poland: reimbursed medicines and duty hours
Short answer: Reimbursed medicines are sold in pharmacies with an NFZ contract. You pay a flat fee, 30% or 50% of the limit, or nothing, depending on the product. Ask for a cheaper equivalent.
Buying medicine in Poland works through pharmacies (apteka), and the rules are easy once you know three things: prescription medicines need a prescription, some prescription medicines are reimbursed by the National Health Fund (NFZ) so you pay only part of the price, and every county has a duty pharmacy system for nights and days off. This guide uses the official pages of the Ministry of Health on gov.pl and the NFZ, read in October 2026. Prices of individual medicines change with the official reimbursement list, so check the current list and ask the pharmacist at the counter.
Where to buy reimbursed medicines
According to the Ministry of Health, you can buy reimbursed products in a pharmacy that has signed a contract with the NFZ. Not every product is reimbursed. A medicine is reimbursed only if it appears on the list prepared by the ministry, and the ministry says it updates that list every two months.
The ministry also says that reimbursed products include prescription medicines that have no over-the-counter (OTC) equivalent, or that do have one but must be taken for at least 30 days to work. Compounded medicines made in the pharmacy can be reimbursed in some cases, and so can some medicines imported for a named patient.
Who can use reimbursement
The ministry says you can buy reimbursed medicines if you have the right to publicly funded healthcare. That means you are insured, or you have the right through additional entitlements, or you have the right under exceptions and international agreements even without being insured. For the practical side of insurance, see our guide to health insurance for foreigners and how an e-prescription works.
How much you pay
The ministry explains that the price depends on the reimbursement level of the medicine. There are four ways to get a reimbursed product:
- Free up to the financing limit. This applies to medicines with proven effect in treating malignant cancer, psychotic disorders, intellectual disability, developmental disorders, and infectious diseases of special epidemic threat.
- Flat fee (ryczałt). For products you must take for longer than 30 days where 30% of the limit would be too high for the patient, and for some older products. The ministry page states a flat fee of 3.20 zl for a pack of 30 daily doses, and proportionally more for a bigger pack.
- 50% of the financing limit. For products used for no longer than 30 days.
- 30% of the financing limit. For products that do not fall into the other groups.
The financing limit is the amount the NFZ will pay for a product group. If the pharmacy price is higher than that limit, you also pay the difference in price. So two medicines with the same active substance can cost you different amounts at the counter.
Cheaper equivalents
The ministry says a pharmacist must tell you if a cheaper reimbursed medicine than the one on your prescription is available. Generic medicines contain the same active substance, the same indications and the same way of use as the original, and the ministry says they have passed bioequivalence studies. Its own advice is that most medicines have cheaper equivalents with no therapeutic difference. You can ask: "Czy jest tańszy odpowiednik?" (Is there a cheaper equivalent?)
Duty pharmacies at night and on days off
Since 1 January 2024, the NFZ has financed duty pharmacies. The NFZ announcement explains how it works:
- Only a general-access pharmacy can be a duty pharmacy, and the county board (zarząd powiatu) names it in a resolution.
- On a day off work, a duty lasts 4 hours between 10:00 and 18:00.
- At night, a duty lasts 2 hours between 19:00 and 23:00. The NFZ says this can apply every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.
The Ministry of Health adds that duties are not mandatory everywhere. In counties whose seat is a city above 40,000 people they are optional, and in smaller ones they are required only if the county analysis shows local needs are not otherwise met. In practice, in a smaller town you may find only a short duty window, so do not rely on a pharmacy being open late. Ask your own county (powiat) office for the duty list published for your area.
A simple way to use all this
Before you go, check three things. First, that the medicine is on the reimbursement list, because the ministry says only listed products are reimbursed. Second, that the pharmacy has a contract with the NFZ. Third, ask whether a cheaper equivalent exists. If you will take a medicine for more than 30 days, ask which payment group it is in, because the flat fee can be much lower than 30% of the limit. For a medicine you only need for a short course, the 50% group applies according to the ministry, so the final price depends on the financing limit of that product group.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy reimbursed medicines in Poland?
Yes, if you have the right to publicly funded healthcare, for example through NFZ insurance, according to the Ministry of Health. Without that right you pay the full price.
Do all pharmacies sell reimbursed medicines?
No. The ministry says reimbursed products are sold in pharmacies that have a contract with the NFZ. Ask before you queue.
How often does the reimbursement list change?
The ministry says the list is updated every two months, so a price or level can change between visits.
What if the pharmacy price is higher than the limit?
You pay your share plus the difference between the price and the NFZ limit. A cheaper equivalent can reduce that difference.
