Find a pharmacy in Siauliai
Siauliai, Lithuania's fourth-largest city and the administrative centre of the northern region, supports a network of 23 verified pharmacies serving roughly 100,000 residents plus the surrounding Šiauliai County catchment of around 250,000 people. The density is highest along Vilniaus gatvė (the central pedestrian boulevard) and around the Šiauliai Republican Hospital on Vytauto street, with secondary clusters in the Lieporiai and Dainai residential districts and near the bus and rail terminal. The city also draws cross-border foot traffic from Latvian patients south of Riga who travel for cheaper prescription medicines, and serves students from Vilnius University Šiauliai Academy and Šiauliai State College. Most outlets handle both prescription dispensing and over-the-counter consultations in Lithuanian, with Russian widely spoken by older pharmacists.
The market is dominated by three national chains. Benu Vaistinė (owned by Phoenix Group) operates the largest footprint with branches near the Akropolis shopping centre, on Tilžės gatvė, and inside several primary care polyclinics. Camelia (BENU's main competitor, part of the Tamro group) runs prominent outlets along Vilniaus gatvė and in the Saulės Miestas mall. Smaller independent operators such as Ramunėlės vaistinė retain loyal local clientele in the older neighbourhoods, often staying open later and offering compounding for paediatric doses. Eurovaistinė and Gintarinė vaistinė round out the chain presence. Hospital-affiliated dispensaries inside Republican Hospital handle inpatient and specialist oncology prescriptions that retail pharmacies do not stock.
Pricing & coverage
Pricing follows national tariffs set under VLK reimbursement rules. A standard antibiotic course (amoxicillin 500 mg, 21 capsules) costs €3-6, a month of generic statins €4-8, and blood pressure combination tablets €5-12 depending on brand. Over-the-counter ibuprofen 400 mg (20 tabs) runs €2-4. Compensated medicines for chronic conditions — diabetes, hypertension, asthma — are reimbursed at 50%, 80%, or 100% by VLK when prescribed under an e-recipe via the e-sveikata portal. Patients pay only the co-payment at the till. Full prescribing and reimbursement rules, plus the verified medicine register, are published by VVKT.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Šiauliai operates a duty pharmacy rota: at least one outlet, typically the Benu branch on Vilniaus gatvė or the 24-hour pharmacy near the Republican Hospital, stays open overnight and on public holidays. The current rota is posted on every pharmacy door and on the municipal website. For acute medical emergencies — chest pain, severe allergic reactions, suspected overdose — dial 112 for ambulance dispatch; the Šiauliai Republican Hospital A&E on Vytauto g. 103 receives all serious cases. Pharmacists can advise on minor ailments but cannot dispense prescription-only medicines without a valid e-recipe, even out of hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a prescription issued in another EU country at a Siauliai pharmacy?
Yes. Lithuania accepts cross-border EU prescriptions under Directive 2011/24/EU, provided they include the prescriber's full details, patient identification, and the medicine's international non-proprietary name. Most Benu and Camelia branches in Siauliai are familiar with Latvian and Polish scripts given the regional traffic. Reimbursement, however, applies only to Lithuanian residents enrolled with VLK; visitors pay the full retail price unless they hold a European Health Insurance Card and the medicine qualifies as urgent.
Do Siauliai pharmacies stock English-language patient information leaflets?
Rarely. Statutory leaflets are printed in Lithuanian as required by VVKT. Pharmacists at central branches near Vilniaus gatvė and inside Akropolis generally speak conversational English and will translate dosing instructions verbally. For complex regimens, request a printed dosing schedule or ask the prescribing doctor to annotate the e-recipe in English. The VVKT website carries an English summary of product characteristics for most registered medicines.
Is methadone or other controlled substitution therapy dispensed in Siauliai?
Yes, but only through the Šiauliai Addiction Disorders Centre on Vilniaus g. 273, not through retail pharmacies. Opioid substitution requires registration with the centre and daily supervised dosing. Retail outlets dispense Schedule II analgesics (oxycodone, fentanyl patches) only against a special pink prescription form, and most chains require 24 hours' notice to stock these.
Are vaccinations available directly at pharmacies?
Influenza, COVID-19, and tick-borne encephalitis vaccinations are offered seasonally at selected Benu and Camelia branches in Siauliai under a 2022 amendment to the Pharmacy Act. Routine childhood immunisations remain the responsibility of primary care clinics. Walk-in flu jabs typically run €12-18 without subsidy; pensioners over 65 receive them free under VLK coverage.
How do I find a duty pharmacy at 2am?
Check the rota posted on any pharmacy door, call 112 for guidance, or consult the Šiauliai municipality website. The night-duty outlet rotates weekly among four or five participating chain branches.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or qualified prescriber for individual clinical decisions.