Find a pharmacy in Passau
Passau sits at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz in eastern Bavaria, and its ten verified pharmacies serve a compact population of roughly 53,000 residents alongside a steady flow of University of Passau students, river-cruise passengers, and cross-border visitors arriving from Austria and the Czech Republic. The Altstadt peninsula concentrates several long-established Apotheken within walking distance of the cathedral and Klinikum Passau, while newer outlets cluster around Kohlbruck, the DEZ shopping centre, and the Messepark retail corridor. Demand peaks in summer with the cruise season and in winter when seasonal infections and altitude-tired Alpine travellers pass through. The mix of historic city-centre dispensaries and modern suburban pharmacies gives Passau broader coverage per capita than comparably sized inland Bavarian towns.
The Passau market is fragmented and owner-operated, in line with Germany's strict prohibition on pharmacy chains beyond limited Filialverbund structures. The Nibelungen-Apotheke and Wittelsbacher Apotheke anchor the historic core near the Residenzplatz, while the Hofapotheke zum schwarzen Adler trades on one of the oldest continuous pharmacy licences in the city. Newer footfall is captured by Apotheke Stadtgalerie inside the central shopping arcade and Apotheke im DEZ in the Kohlbruck retail park, both offering extended weekday hours. The Apotheke am Messepark serves the trade-fair and exhibition crowd on the eastern fringe, and the Blaue Apotheke maintains a compounding laboratory for individually prepared formulations. Bavaria Apotheke, Egger-Apotheke, and Andreas Apotheke fill the residential pockets in Haidenhof and Hacklberg.
Pricing & coverage
Prescription medicines dispensed under GKV statutory insurance carry a fixed co-payment of EUR 5 to EUR 10 per item, capped at 2% of annual gross income (1% for chronic patients). Common out-of-pocket items include paracetamol 500mg at EUR 2 to EUR 4, a standard antibiotic course at EUR 15 to EUR 30 without cover, and travel vaccinations from EUR 25 to EUR 80 per dose. Compounded preparations (Rezepturen) typically run EUR 15 to EUR 45. PKV private policies usually reimburse the full retail price after submission. Pricing for prescription drugs is uniform nationwide under the Arzneimittelpreisverordnung — see the federal regulator BfArM for the authoritative drug register.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Out-of-hours pharmacy cover in Passau operates through the Bavarian Notdienst rota coordinated by the Bayerische Landesapothekerkammer: one or two pharmacies are on duty each night and weekend, posted on the door of every Apotheke and searchable by postcode at aponet.de or by dialling 22 8 33 from a mobile. For medical emergencies — chest pain, severe trauma, anaphylaxis — call 112, which dispatches to Klinikum Passau in Innstadt, the city's main acute hospital with a 24-hour Notaufnahme. Non-urgent after-hours medical advice is available on 116 117, the nationwide Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst line.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a prescription filled in Passau with an Austrian or Czech prescription?
EU-issued prescriptions following the cross-border template are accepted in Passau pharmacies, which matters given the city's location 8km from the Austrian border and 30km from Czech crossings. Paper prescriptions from a GP in Schärding or Český Krumlov should include the prescriber's contact details, the patient's date of birth, and the active ingredient in INN form. Payment is out-of-pocket at German retail price; reimbursement claims go back to the patient's home insurer. Controlled substances under the Betäubungsmittelgesetz require a German BtM prescription and cannot be transferred.
Do Passau pharmacies dispense the e-Rezept?
Yes. Since January 2024 the electronic prescription is mandatory for GKV patients across Germany, and all ten verified Passau pharmacies are connected to the Telematikinfrastruktur. Patients present the e-Rezept via the gematik app, their insurance card (eGK) inserted at the counter, or a printed token with QR code. PKV patients are migrating onto the system more gradually and may still receive paper Privatrezepte.
Which Passau pharmacy handles compounding for individualised formulations?
Several Passau Apotheken maintain on-site laboratories for Rezepturen — individually compounded creams, capsules, and solutions prescribed when no commercial product fits. The Blaue Apotheke and Hofapotheke zum schwarzen Adler are historically known for this work. Turnaround is usually 24 to 48 hours for standard formulations and longer for sterile preparations, which are often referred to specialist compounders in Regensburg or Munich. Bring the original prescription and confirm pricing before the laboratory starts work, as Rezepturen are billed by ingredient weight plus a labour fee.
Are English-speaking pharmacists available?
Most pharmacists in central Passau speak functional English given the university's international student population and the cruise-tourism trade. Counter staff in the Altstadt outlets — particularly Nibelungen-Apotheke and Apotheke Stadtgalerie — handle English routinely. For complex consultations, asking for the Apotheker (qualified pharmacist) rather than the PTA (technical assistant) generally yields better language support. Translation of dosing instructions onto the box is available on request.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or physician for individual clinical decisions.