Find a pharmacy in Dordrecht
Dordrecht, the oldest city in Holland and the largest urban centre in the Drechtsteden conurbation, supports a pharmacy network of around eleven verified outlets serving roughly 120,000 residents on the island bounded by the Oude Maas, Beneden-Merwede and Dordtsche Kil. The catchment stretches beyond the municipal border: commuters from Zwijndrecht, Papendrecht and Sliedrecht regularly fill prescriptions in the city, and the Albert Schweitzer Ziekenhuis on the Amstelwijckweg generates steady discharge-medication traffic. Outlets cluster in three bands — the historic binnenstad around Spuiboulevard, the post-war southern districts of Crabbehof, Wielwijk and Sterrenburg, and the newer Stadspolders neighbourhoods east of the A16. A modest Turkish and Moroccan-heritage population in Wielwijk and Crabbehof shapes counselling-language provision at several locations.
The market in Dordrecht is consolidated rather than fragmented, with national chains accounting for most counters. Benu operates multiple branches across the city, including locations serving Sterrenburg and the central districts, alongside Benu apotheek Wantij which anchors the north-eastern Stadspolders. Service Apotheek is the second pillar, with Service Apotheek Crabbehof covering the southern social-housing belt and Service Apotheek Galilea-Zuid handling the Zuidhoven corridor. Independent and smaller-group outlets fill specific niches: Apotheek Spirea services the western residential streets, Ritzen retains a long-standing local clientele, and Mediq supplies disease-management products and home-delivery prescriptions. None of the city's pharmacies operate inpatient dispensing; hospital pharmacy sits within Albert Schweitzer itself.
Pricing & coverage
Prescription medicines under the basisverzekering are reimbursed via the Geneesmiddelenvergoedingssysteem, with a statutory annual eigen risico of €385 (2024 threshold) applied first. Common out-of-pocket items in Dordrecht include a standard dispensing fee (terhandstellingskosten) of roughly €6–€8 per first issue, a first-consultation supplement of €4–€6, and weekend or night surcharges of €10–€25. Over-the-counter paracetamol 500 mg sits at €1–€2; a basic flu vaccination outside the NPG runs €25–€35. Reimbursement scope and the formulary are set nationally by the CBG-MEB; preferentiebeleid contracts between insurers and manufacturers determine which generic is dispensed at the counter.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Outside opening hours, Dordrecht is covered by Dienstapotheek Drechtsteden, located on the Albert Schweitzer Ziekenhuis Dordwijk campus on Amstelwijckweg. It operates evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays, and is the only pharmacy authorised to dispense urgent prescriptions issued by the Huisartsenpost Drechtsteden, which sits in the same building. For acute medical emergencies, life-threatening allergic reactions or suspected poisoning, call 112 immediately; the Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum supports clinicians but is not a public hotline. Routine repeats should wait for normal hours to avoid the nachttarief.
Frequently asked questions
Which pharmacy handles night and weekend prescriptions in Dordrecht? Dienstapotheek Drechtsteden on the Albert Schweitzer Dordwijk site is the sole out-of-hours dispenser for the city and the wider Drechtsteden region. It works in tandem with the co-located huisartsenpost, so prescriptions issued there can be filled on the spot. Expect a surcharge of €10–€25 above daytime fees, which most insurers reimburse after the eigen risico is met. Individual community pharmacies in Crabbehof, Sterrenburg or the binnenstad do not run their own night rotas.
Can I transfer a repeat prescription between Dordrecht pharmacies? Yes. Dutch pharmacies share the Landelijk Schakelpunt medication record once you grant consent, so any Benu, Service Apotheek or independent outlet in Dordrecht can retrieve your history and arrange repeats. Bring your DigiD-linked insurance details on first visit. Switching pharmacies mid-treatment may trigger a fresh first-issue fee.
Do Dordrecht pharmacies serve cross-border Belgian patients? Occasionally. Patients from the Antwerp province sometimes fill Dutch-issued prescriptions here, but Belgian prescriptions require a European prescription form and the medication must be CBG-MEB registered. Reimbursement through Belgian mutualiteiten is handled retrospectively.
Is medication delivery available locally? Mediq and several Benu branches offer home delivery within Dordrecht and adjacent Drechtsteden municipalities, typically free for chronic-disease patients and same-day for prescriptions received before midday.
Are vaccinations available without an appointment? Seasonal influenza jabs under the NPG are GP-administered; pharmacies in Dordrecht primarily handle travel vaccines and shingles immunisations by appointment, not walk-in.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Consult a licensed pharmacist or your huisarts for individual clinical decisions.