Find a pharmacy in Kleve
Kleve is a Lower Rhine district town of roughly 50,000 people, sitting close to the Dutch border in North Rhine-Westphalia. PillsCard lists 11 verified pharmacies serving a mixed catchment: long-standing residents, a growing student population tied to the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Rhein-Waal), and a steady flow of cross-border patients from Nijmegen, Millingen and the surrounding Gelderland villages who use Kleve for German prescription dispensing. Most outlets cluster around the Altstadt and the pedestrianised Große Straße, with a secondary band near the Klinikum Bethanien on Bahnhofstraße. The town's bilingual signage and Euregio patient flows give its pharmacy network a more international footprint than comparable inland towns of similar size.
The market is fragmented and owner-operated, in line with Germany's ban on pharmacy chains beyond limited branch ownership. Marien-Apotheke and Markt-Apotheke anchor the historic centre near the Stiftskirche, while Einhorn Apotheke and Löwen-Apotheke serve the residential streets running toward Materborn. Apotheke im EOC operates within the Euregio Office Center close to the hospital corridor, handling a high volume of post-discharge and oncology scripts. Apotheke Rhein-Waal caters to the university quarter on Marie-Curie-Straße, with extended student-friendly opening hours, and Annen-Apotheke and Willibrord Apotheke cover the Kellen and Rindern outskirts. Most offer Dutch-language counter service, blister-pack medication management, and home delivery within the Kleve city limits.
Pricing & coverage
Statutory GKV insurers cover prescription medicines with a fixed co-payment of €5–€10 per item (capped at 2% of annual gross income, or 1% for chronic patients). Over-the-counter items are typically self-paid: a pack of ibuprofen 400 mg runs €4–€8, antihistamines €6–€12, and a standard blood-pressure check at the counter is usually free. PKV (private) policies reimburse against submitted invoices, often at full AMPreisV-regulated rates. Vaccinations administered in-pharmacy (flu, COVID-19) are GKV-funded for eligible cohorts. Pricing structures for prescription drugs are set nationally under the Arzneimittelpreisverordnung; the federal regulator BfArM publishes the authoritative drug and licensing register.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Out-of-hours dispensing in Kleve follows the Apothekennotdienst rota coordinated by the Apothekerkammer Nordrhein. On any given night or Sunday, at least one Kleve pharmacy is on duty (Notdienst) until 09:00 the following morning; the current rota is posted on every pharmacy door and at aknr.de. For acute medical emergencies, dial 112 — this reaches the integrated fire and ambulance dispatch in Kleve, which routes patients to the Katholisches Karl-Leisner-Klinikum (St.-Antonius-Hospital site) on Albersallee. Non-urgent after-hours medical advice is available on 116117.
Frequently asked questions
Can Dutch patients fill German prescriptions in Kleve?
Yes, but with conditions. A prescription issued by a Dutch GP must be a cross-border EU prescription containing the prescriber's full identifying data and the active substance name. Most central Kleve pharmacies, particularly those near the Altstadt and Apotheke Rhein-Waal, regularly process these. Reimbursement is not automatic: Dutch patients usually pay out of pocket in EUR and claim back via their zorgverzekeraar. Controlled substances (BtM) cannot be dispensed cross-border without a German practitioner's script.
Are pharmacies in Kleve open on Sundays?
Only one or two are open on any Sunday, rotating via the Apothekennotdienst. The duty pharmacy changes every 24 hours at 09:00. You can identify the current Sunday pharmacy by checking the notice posted on any pharmacy door, calling 22833 from a German mobile, or visiting aponet.de. Expect a small Notdienstgebühr surcharge of €2.50 per prescription outside standard hours.
Do Kleve pharmacies stock English-language patient leaflets?
Patient information leaflets (Packungsbeilage) are issued in German by regulation. However, given the student and cross-border population, pharmacies near Hochschule Rhein-Waal and the hospital corridor frequently have staff who explain dosing in English or Dutch. Ask for the active ingredient name rather than the brand, as German brand naming differs from UK and Dutch equivalents.
Can I get vaccinations at a Kleve pharmacy?
Since 2022, qualified German pharmacists may administer seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines to adults. Not every Kleve pharmacy participates — typically the larger Markt-Apotheke and Apotheke im EOC offer walk-in slots during autumn campaigns. Travel vaccinations (yellow fever, typhoid) are not administered in pharmacies; for those, attend a Gelbfieber-impfstelle or your Hausarzt.
Is e-prescription (E-Rezept) accepted across Kleve?
Yes. As of January 2024, the E-Rezept is mandatory for GKV-insured patients nationally. All 11 verified Kleve pharmacies process E-Rezepte via the gematik infrastructure, either by inserting your electronic health card (eGK), scanning a token QR code, or using the official E-Rezept app.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Always consult a licensed pharmacist or your treating physician for decisions about specific medicines, dosing, or interactions.