Find a pharmacy in Aizkraukle
Aizkraukle is a small regional centre on the right bank of the Daugava, roughly 90 km southeast of Riga, and its pharmacy network reflects that scale: PillsCard lists 5 verified pharmacies serving a town of around 6,500 residents plus the wider Aizkraukle municipality population that travels in for shopping, banking and healthcare. Most outlets cluster along Lāčplēša iela and around the Rimi and Maxima retail anchors in the town centre, with a secondary node near the Aizkraukle Hospital on Bērzu iela. The clientele is overwhelmingly local — pensioners managing chronic prescriptions, working-age commuters, and patients referred from rural Skrīveri and Pļaviņas parishes. There is no meaningful medical-tourism flow, but cross-municipal footfall from the Selonia bank of the Daugava is steady.
The market is dominated by the three national chains that define Latvian retail pharmacy almost everywhere outside Riga. Benu operates two of the verified outlets in Aizkraukle, typically positioned inside or adjacent to supermarket footfall, while Mēness aptieka holds two further sites including one closer to the hospital corridor that handles a higher share of prescription dispensing. Apotheka rounds out the directory with a single high-street location offering the chain's standard own-brand OTC range and cosmetic shelf. Independent pharmacies have largely disappeared from towns of this size, so concentration is high and pricing is broadly uniform across the three brands; differentiation comes through opening hours, loyalty schemes and whether the outlet is licensed to compound simple extemporaneous preparations.
Pricing & coverage
Out-of-pocket prices in Aizkraukle track national tariffs closely. A standard prescription dispensing fee runs roughly EUR 0.71 per item, a basic blood-pressure check is usually free at the counter, and common OTC items such as a 20-tablet pack of paracetamol sit between EUR 1.50 and EUR 3.00. Reimbursable prescriptions on the NVD compensated medicines list are sold at 0%, 25%, 50% or 75% patient co-payment depending on diagnosis; the reference-price system means patients pay any difference above the cheapest equivalent. Current reimbursement categories and the compensated-medicines register are published by the State Agency of Medicines (ZVA) and NVD.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Aizkraukle does not operate a 24-hour pharmacy. Outside standard retail hours, patients rely on the duty-pharmacy rota coordinated regionally — typically the nearest open outlet is in Jēkabpils or central Riga — or on the inpatient pharmacy at Aizkraukles slimnīca on Bērzu iela 7 for hospital-administered medication. For any acute medical or dental emergency, call 113 for the ambulance service or the unified 112 line; the regional hospital's emergency department triages and, where needed, transfers to Riga East or Pauls Stradiņš University Hospital. Poisoning queries route through the Toxicology Centre via 113.
Frequently asked questions
Are pharmacies in Aizkraukle open on Sundays? Most of the five verified outlets open on Sundays but with reduced hours, typically 10:00 to 16:00 or 17:00. The Benu and Mēness aptieka sites attached to Rimi and Maxima follow the supermarket schedule and tend to have the longest weekend opening. Standalone high-street locations may close entirely on Sunday afternoons. There is no overnight cover within the town itself, so for late-evening needs check individual chain apps before travelling.
Can I get a foreign prescription dispensed here? Yes, if it is a valid EU cross-border prescription containing the prescriber's details, the INN of the medicine and patient identification as required by Directive 2011/24/EU. Aizkraukle pharmacists routinely handle Lithuanian and Estonian scripts. Non-EU prescriptions generally cannot be dispensed directly and require a Latvian doctor to reissue. Controlled substances and certain psychotropics are excluded from cross-border recognition.
Do pharmacies here speak English? Pharmacist-level staff under 45 typically speak functional English, and Russian is widely understood across all age groups. For complex counselling on dosing or interactions, asking for the dežūrfarmaceits (duty pharmacist) usually produces the most fluent English speaker on shift. Written patient information leaflets are supplied in Latvian only.
Are vaccinations available at Aizkraukle pharmacies? Pharmacist-administered vaccination in Latvia is currently limited mainly to seasonal influenza and COVID-19 boosters at accredited sites. Not every Aizkraukle outlet holds the accreditation; the larger Benu and Mēness aptieka branches are the more likely providers. For childhood schedules, tick-borne encephalitis and travel vaccines, patients are referred to their family doctor or to a vaccination cabinet at the hospital.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or their family doctor for individual clinical decisions.