Find a pharmacy in Kiel
Kiel's pharmacy network covers roughly 70 community pharmacies across the city, with 34 verified in PillsCard's directory. As Schleswig-Holstein's capital and home to Christian-Albrechts-Universität, the city serves a mixed population of around 247,000 residents, a sizeable student cohort, naval personnel from the Bundeswehr base, and a steady flow of Baltic ferry passengers travelling to Oslo and Gothenburg. Pharmacies cluster densely along the Holstenstraße pedestrian zone in Altstadt and around the Hauptbahnhof, with secondary concentrations in Gaarden, Mettenhof, Wik and Schilksee. The Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) Kiel campus on Arnold-Heller-Straße anchors a small medical district whose surrounding pharmacies handle a heavier oncology and transplant-medication load than typical community sites.
The Kiel market is fragmented rather than chain-dominated — German law still restricts pharmacy ownership to licensed pharmacists, so most premises remain independent or part of small local groupings. Central-Apotheke and Einhorn-Apotheke serve the downtown footfall around Asmus-Bremer-Platz and the Hauptbahnhof, while Ring Apotheke am Dreiecksplatz handles the busy crossroads between Altstadt and the southern districts. Mettenhof Apotheke covers the high-density Mettenhof estate in the west, and Olympia Apotheke Schilksee anchors the sailing-harbour suburb that hosted the 1972 Olympic regatta. Phönix-Apotheke, Adler-Apotheke and Apotheke am Z.O.B. round out the central rota, with Medica-Apotheke and Vital Apotheke focusing on prescription-heavy custom near GP clusters in Gaarden and Wik.
Pricing & coverage
GKV-insured patients pay a statutory prescription co-payment of €5–€10 per item, capped at 2% of annual gross income (1% for chronic conditions). Common over-the-counter items sit roughly at €4–€8 for ibuprofen 400 mg packs, €8–€15 for nasal sprays, and €12–€25 for branded cold remedies. Compounded prescriptions ("Rezepturen") typically run €15–€40 depending on ingredients. PKV holders generally pay upfront and claim reimbursement. Pricing for prescription medicines is fixed nationally under the Arzneimittelpreisverordnung, so a Kiel pharmacy will not undercut one in Hamburg. Approval and pharmacovigilance fall to BfArM.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Out-of-hours pharmacy cover in Kiel runs on a rotating Notdienst administered by the Apothekerkammer Schleswig-Holstein, with one or two pharmacies open overnight in any given district — the current rota is posted on every pharmacy door and at aponet.de. For acute medical emergencies dial 112; for non-life-threatening after-hours medical issues the ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst is reachable on 116 117. Serious cases are routed to the UKSH Kiel emergency department on Arnold-Heller-Straße or to the Städtisches Krankenhaus Kiel in Wik. Dental emergencies follow a separate Zahnärztlicher Notdienst rota.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a prescription filled in Kiel with an EU e-prescription? Yes. Germany joined the cross-border e-prescription exchange in 2024, and Kiel pharmacies connected to the TI (Telematikinfrastruktur) can dispense valid e-prescriptions issued in participating EU states, including Finland, Croatia and Portugal. Bring your EHIC card and a photo ID. Not every pharmacy has activated the cross-border module yet, so phone ahead — central pharmacies near the Hauptbahnhof and around UKSH are the most reliably equipped, given their regular international patient flow from ferry passengers and academic visitors.
Are pharmacies near the Norwegen-Kai ferry terminal open for early sailings? The Color Line ferry to Oslo departs around 14:00 and arrives back early morning, so the Norwegen-Kai area itself has limited dawn coverage. The closest reliable options are pharmacies along Holstenstraße and around the Hauptbahnhof, most opening at 08:00 or 08:30. For genuinely overnight needs, consult the Notdienst rota — the duty pharmacy may be in a suburb such as Gaarden or Wik, reachable by night bus or a short taxi ride.
Do Kiel pharmacies stock seasickness medication for Baltic crossings? Yes, dimenhydrinate (Vomex A) and cinnarizine-based products are widely available without prescription. Pharmacies near the ferry terminals and Hauptbahnhof routinely advise crossing passengers. Scopolamine patches (Scopoderm) require a prescription in Germany and are not always kept in stock — request in advance if travelling on the Stena Line route to Gothenburg or the Color Line to Oslo, particularly during winter when North Sea swells reach the western Baltic.
Which Kiel pharmacies handle oncology or transplant prescriptions? Pharmacies clustered around the UKSH campus on Arnold-Heller-Straße are best equipped for specialist oncology, immunosuppressant and haematology dispensing, often coordinating directly with hospital outpatient clinics. Compounded cytostatic preparations are handled by a small number of licensed Zytostatika-Apotheken; your treating consultant or UKSH pharmacy team will direct you to the appropriate partner. General community pharmacies can order most specialist items within 24 hours via the wholesale network.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. For individual clinical decisions, dosing questions or medication interactions, consult a licensed pharmacist or your treating physician in person.