Find a pharmacy in Rezekne
Rezekne is the largest city in Latgale and a regional anchor for eastern Latvia, with roughly 25,000 residents drawing on healthcare from across the surrounding rural districts. PillsCard lists 8 verified pharmacies serving the city centre, the Stacijas iela railway corridor, and the residential blocks around Atbrīvošanas aleja. The pharmacy network supports a mixed population: long-standing Latvian and Russian-speaking residents, students from Rezekne Academy of Technologies, and a steady flow of cross-border travellers heading to or from the Belarusian and Russian frontiers nearby. Most pharmacies cluster along the main arteries and inside the larger shopping centres, with a thinner presence in the Jaunatnes and Dārzu neighbourhoods. Sunday and late-evening cover is sparser than in Riga, so locals plan repeat prescriptions around weekday hours.
The market is dominated by national chains rather than independent counters. Mēness aptieka operates several outlets across Rezekne, typically the most visible inside grocery anchors and along Atbrīvošanas aleja, while Apotheka maintains a strong central presence and the slightly different a.Apotheka Lana format serves a more local catchment. Euro aptieka and Euroaptieka — the Latvian arm of Euroapotheca — sit on heavily trafficked corners and inside larger retail centres, competing on price for over-the-counter lines. Latvijas aptieka rounds out the principal chains with a more traditional pharmacy feel. There are no major hospital-affiliated dispensaries inside the city itself; the Rezekne Hospital (Rēzeknes slimnīca) on 18. novembra iela relies on the surrounding chain pharmacies for outpatient dispensing.
Pricing & coverage
A standard pharmacist consultation for minor ailments is generally free at the counter, with patients paying only for medicines dispensed. Typical out-of-pocket prices in Rezekne run roughly EUR 4–12 for common antibiotics, EUR 6–15 for a month of basic antihypertensives, and EUR 8–20 for inhaled bronchodilators before reimbursement. The NVD compensated medicines scheme reimburses 50%, 75% or 100% of the reference price for listed chronic conditions when a Latvian doctor issues an electronic prescription via e-veselība. Non-residents pay full price unless covered by an EHIC. Reimbursement categories and the full A/B medicine register are published by the regulator at zva.gov.lv.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Rezekne does not operate a 24-hour pharmacy. Out-of-hours cover rotates between the main chain branches under the duty-pharmacy (dežūraptieka) schedule, usually posted in the shop windows and on chain websites; on Sundays and public holidays only one or two outlets stay open into the evening. For acute medical or dental emergencies, call 113 for an ambulance or 112 for the unified emergency number — both route to the Rezekne Hospital emergency department on 18. novembra iela. After midnight, urgent prescriptions are typically filled the next morning unless the hospital pharmacy supplies an inpatient dose.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a prescription filled in Rezekne with a foreign EU prescription? Yes. Latvian pharmacies accept cross-border EU prescriptions that follow the 2012/52/EU format, including prescriber details, the international non-proprietary name and a valid signature. Bring photo ID. Controlled substances and many psychotropics are restricted and may be refused even with a valid foreign script. Reimbursement under NVD does not apply — you will pay the full retail price in euros. For travellers from Belarus or Russia, non-EU prescriptions are not honoured and you will need to see a local GP first.
Do Rezekne pharmacies speak English or Russian? Russian is widely spoken across Rezekne pharmacies, reflecting Latgale's linguistic profile, and most counters can serve patients comfortably in Russian or Latvian. English is less consistent: younger staff in the central Apotheka and Mēness aptieka branches usually manage basic medication queries in English, while smaller outlets may not. Writing the international (INN) drug name on paper is the most reliable way to bridge any language gap.
Are vaccinations available at Rezekne pharmacies? A limited number of Latvian pharmacies are authorised to administer adult flu and COVID-19 vaccinations under the pharmacist-vaccinator scheme, but uptake in Rezekne is lower than in Riga. Most residents receive routine immunisations through their family doctor (ģimenes ārsts) or the Rezekne Hospital outpatient clinic. Travel vaccines such as tick-borne encephalitis — relevant in the wooded Latgale region — are typically arranged through GP practices rather than counter pharmacies.
Where can I buy a COVID or rapid test in Rezekne? Lateral-flow antigen self-tests are stocked by all eight verified pharmacies, including the Euro aptieka and Latvijas aptieka outlets in the centre. Prices generally sit between EUR 3 and EUR 7 per test. PCR testing is not done in pharmacies; for a certified PCR result you need to book through a private laboratory branch or the hospital, both of which require an appointment and charge separately.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. For individual clinical decisions, prescription queries or dosage changes, please consult a licensed pharmacist or your treating doctor in person.