Find a pharmacy in Liepaja
Liepaja, Latvia's third-largest city and the principal urban centre of Kurzeme, is served by 23 verified pharmacies in PillsCard's directory. The network covers a population of roughly 65,000 permanent residents alongside a steady flow of Baltic-coast holidaymakers, port workers, Liepaja University students, and Lithuanian cross-border shoppers who drive up from Klaipeda and Skuodas for marginally cheaper prescription pricing. Outlets cluster along Lielā iela and around the Promenade trade complex in Jaunliepāja, with secondary concentrations near Liepaja Regional Hospital on Slimnīcas iela and inside the Rietumu Centrs and Kurzeme shopping malls. A handful of neighbourhood branches serve the wooden-house districts of Karosta and Vecliepāja, where elderly residents rely on walk-in counter consultations rather than online ordering.
The local market is dominated by two national chains: Mēness aptieka and Benu aptieka, which together account for the majority of the 23 listed outlets, with several branches of each operating within a few hundred metres of one another in the city centre. Mēness aptieka maintains its largest Liepaja footprint inside Rietumu Centrs and on Kuršu iela, while Benu typically anchors smaller suburban parades and the Liepaja bus station kiosk. Independent and Apotheka-branded counters fill the remaining gaps, particularly near the Regional Hospital where prescription turnover is heaviest. There is no hospital-only dispensary monopoly here — patients discharged from Liepaja Regional Hospital generally fill scripts at the nearest chain branch on Slimnīcas iela or in the adjacent Ezerkrasts residential district.
Pricing & coverage
Over-the-counter analgesics such as ibuprofen 400 mg (20 tablets) typically retail for EUR 2.50-4.50, while a standard course of amoxicillin runs EUR 4-8 and a basic blood-pressure monitor costs EUR 25-55. Reimbursable prescription medicines listed on the NVD compensated drug register are dispensed at 50%, 75% or 100% state co-payment depending on diagnosis, with the patient typically paying a EUR 0.71 dispensing fee per item. Tourists and other non-NVD-insured patients pay full retail. Current reimbursement lists and registered product prices are published by the State Agency of Medicines at https://www.zva.gov.lv.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Liepaja operates a duty-pharmacy rota under which at least one city-centre branch — most commonly the Mēness aptieka inside the 24-hour section of a major retail centre or the Benu outlet opposite Liepaja Regional Hospital — remains open overnight and on public holidays. The current duty roster is posted in every pharmacy window. For acute medical emergencies dial 113 for an ambulance or 112 for the unified emergency line; both connect to the Kurzeme regional dispatch. Liepaja Regional Hospital (Liepājas reģionālā slimnīca) on Slimnīcas iela 25 handles A&E around the clock.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a prescription filled in Liepaja with an EU e-prescription from another member state? Yes. Latvia participates in the EU cross-border e-prescription scheme, and Liepaja chain pharmacies — particularly Mēness aptieka and Benu — can retrieve prescriptions issued in Estonia, Finland, Croatia, Portugal and a growing list of other states via the national e-veselība system. Bring your EHIC or national ID. Non-EU visitors require a paper prescription from a Latvian-licensed prescriber; foreign paper scripts are not directly dispensable.
Are pharmacies in Liepaja open on Sundays? Most central branches in Rietumu Centrs, Kurzeme shopping centre and along Lielā iela open on Sundays, typically 10:00-18:00. Suburban and Karosta-district outlets often close on Sundays, so plan around the duty rota for weekend needs.
Do Liepaja pharmacies speak English or Russian? Russian is universally spoken given the city's demographic mix; English proficiency is good among younger staff in central chain branches but more limited in Karosta and Tosmare neighbourhood outlets. Carrying the medicine's international non-proprietary name in writing avoids confusion.
Can I buy antibiotics without a prescription? No. Latvian law strictly requires a prescription for all systemic antibiotics, and ZVA enforces this. Pharmacists will refuse without a valid script, regardless of nationality.
Is there cheaper pricing in Liepaja than in Riga? Headline retail prices are nationally regulated for reimbursed medicines, so prices are effectively identical. Non-reimbursed OTC products may run 5-10% lower than central Riga due to slightly lower retail rents.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or registered prescriber for individual clinical decisions.