Find a pharmacy in Kielce
Kielce, the capital of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and a city of roughly 190,000 in south-central Poland, supports 95 verified pharmacies in PillsCard's directory. The network primarily serves city residents and the wider voivodeship population who travel in for specialist hospital care at Świętokrzyskie Centrum Onkologii and the Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony, alongside students from Jan Kochanowski University and Kielce University of Technology. Density is highest in the central districts around Sienkiewicza and the Plac Wolności corridor, with strong clusters near the main rail station and along Świętokrzyska. Outer estates such as Ślichowice, Bocianek and Świętokrzyskie host neighbourhood pharmacies attached to przychodnie (primary-care clinics), while the trade-fair traffic from Targi Kielce produces a small but steady stream of visiting professionals needing repeat prescriptions filled.
The market is fragmented but increasingly chain-led. National operators sit beside independents: DOZ Apteka dbam o zdrowie and DR ZDROWIE anchor the loyalty-card segment, APTEKA GEMINI competes on price near transit hubs, and the APTEKA CEF@RM 36,6 banner appears at multiple Kielce addresses including footfall-heavy stretches of Paderewskiego and the housing estates of KSM. Independents such as Apteka Słoneczna and the family-oriented Niezapominajka dla całej rodziny hold their own in residential pockets, often offering compounding (receptura) services that the chains have scaled back. APTEKA PLUS branches cover suburban arteries, while hospital-adjacent pharmacies near ul. Artwińskiego serve oncology and cardiology outpatients discharged from the regional hospitals.
Pricing & coverage
Prescription medicines reimbursed under NFZ follow the national refundacja list published by the Ministry of Health: patients typically pay 0, 3.20 PLN, or 30–50% of the reference price depending on category. Common over-the-counter items in Kielce track national averages — a 20-tablet pack of paracetamol 500 mg runs 6–12 PLN, ibuprofen 200 mg 8–15 PLN, and a basic blood-pressure check at the counter is free or 5–10 PLN. Compounded preparations (leki recepturowe) carry a fixed patient co-payment of around 25 PLN. Marketing-authorisation and reimbursement status can be verified with the regulator at URPL.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Kielce operates a duty-pharmacy rota (apteka dyżurna) coordinated by the city council under the 2023 amendment to the Pharmaceutical Law, with at least one pharmacy open overnight and on public holidays — the current schedule is published on the Urząd Miasta Kielce website. For acute medical or dental emergencies, the regional emergency department at Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony on ul. Grunwaldzka is the primary receiving hospital, with paediatric cases routed to the Świętokrzyskie Centrum Pediatrii. Dial 112 for life-threatening events; for non-urgent advice outside surgery hours use NFZ's nationwide nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna line on 800 137 200.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fill a foreign prescription in Kielce? EU/EEA prescriptions issued on the cross-border template are honoured by Polish pharmacies, including chains such as DOZ and DR ZDROWIE in central Kielce. Non-EU prescriptions cannot be dispensed directly; a Polish-licensed doctor must reissue them. Bring photo ID and, where possible, the original prescription plus an English or Polish translation of the active substance and dosage. Controlled medicines (psychotropic or narcotic) require additional documentation and may not be available without an in-country consultation.
Do Kielce pharmacies stock English-language information? Larger chain branches near Sienkiewicza and the rail station usually have at least one English-speaking pharmacist on shift, and patient information leaflets for many products exist in EU-standard multilingual formats. Independent neighbourhood pharmacies in Bocianek or Ślichowice may have limited English; carrying the INN (international non-proprietary name) of your medication on paper avoids confusion when brand names differ from those used abroad.
Is vaccination available at Kielce pharmacies? Yes. Since 2022, trained Polish pharmacists may administer adult influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations, and Kielce branches of DOZ and several APTEKA CEF@RM 36,6 locations participate. Bring your PESEL number or passport; NFZ-eligible patients pay nothing for qualifying jabs, while private-pay rates for seasonal flu vaccine sit around 50–80 PLN.
Which Kielce pharmacies offer compounding? Receptura (compounding) is more common at independent pharmacies than chain outlets. Family-oriented branches such as Niezapominajka dla całej rodziny and select Apteka Słoneczna locations advertise the service. Expect 24–48 hours for non-urgent preparations and a fixed patient co-payment under NFZ rules.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. For individual clinical decisions, dosing questions, or interaction checks, consult a licensed pharmacist or your treating physician.