Find a pharmacy in Kolno

Kolno is a small county town in Podlaskie Voivodeship in north-eastern Poland, with roughly 10,000 residents and a wider powiat catchment of around 38,000 people drawn in from surrounding rural gminas such as Mały Płock, Stawiski and Turośl. PillsCard lists 6 verified pharmacies serving this population, a density typical of Polish powiat seats where one pharmacy per ~1,500–2,000 inhabitants is the norm. Most outlets cluster along ulica Wojska Polskiego and around the Plac Wolności market square, within walking distance of the Szpital Ogólny on ulica Wojska Polskiego 69. The customer base is overwhelmingly local — pensioners filling NFZ scripts, farming families from the powiat, and a modest seasonal uptick from visitors heading to the Biebrza marshes nearby.

The market in Kolno is fragmented rather than chain-dominated, which is unusual when compared with larger Podlaskie cities like Białystok where Gemini and Dbam o Zdrowie hold larger shares. APTEKA CEF@RM 36,6 trades under the national CEFARM 36,6 banner and tends to handle higher prescription volumes, while independents such as PANACEUM, Apteka Miętowa and Apteka Podlaska compete on opening hours and personal service. GŁÓWNA APTEKA, true to its name, sits centrally and functions as a default walk-in point for residents picking up acute prescriptions after a GP visit. None of the listed pharmacies are formally affiliated with the Szpital Ogólny, but several maintain informal supply relationships with the hospital's outpatient clinics for specialist medicines and compounded preparations.

§01Pricing & coverage

For reimbursed prescription medicines on the NFZ list, patient co-payments typically range from 3.20 PLN (the ryczałt flat fee) to 30–80 PLN for partially reimbursed drugs; insulin and many chronic-disease medicines are free for patients aged 65+ and under 18 under the Leki 65+ and Leki 18- programmes. Over-the-counter paracetamol or ibuprofen runs 6–15 PLN, while a private (non-reimbursed) antibiotic course is usually 25–60 PLN. Compounded preparations (leki recepturowe) carry a fixed co-payment of around 18–25 PLN. Reimbursement lists are published by the Ministry of Health and product authorisations are maintained by the URPL.

§02Emergencies & out-of-hours care

Kolno operates a duty-pharmacy (dyżur apteczny) rota coordinated by the powiat council, with the on-call schedule posted in every pharmacy window and on the powiat's website; at least one pharmacy is required to cover nights, Sundays and public holidays. For acute medical emergencies the Szpital Ogólny im. dr Witolda Ginela on ulica Wojska Polskiego 69 runs the local SOR (Szpitalny Oddział Ratunkowy). Dial 112 for life-threatening situations or 999 for an ambulance directly; for non-urgent after-hours primary care, use the Nocna i Świąteczna Opieka Zdrowotna service attached to the hospital.

§03Frequently asked questions

Are pharmacies in Kolno open on Sundays?

Most are closed on Sundays under Poland's general retail trading ban, but the powiat-coordinated duty rota guarantees at least one pharmacy is open. Check the printed schedule in any pharmacy window or the Starostwo Powiatowe w Kolnie website. The duty pharmacy may apply a small after-hours surcharge (around 3.20 PLN) on top of the prescription price.

Can I get an English-speaking pharmacist in Kolno?

English is not guaranteed in Kolno, as it would be in Warsaw or Kraków. Younger pharmacists trained after 2000 typically have working English, but older staff may not. Bringing the international non-proprietary name (INN) of your medicine in writing — rather than the brand name — solves most communication problems, since Polish pharmacists are trained on INNs.

Do I need a Polish prescription to collect medicine?

EU/EEA cross-border prescriptions issued in any member state are honoured under Directive 2011/24/EU, provided they contain the prescriber's details, INN and dosage. Prescriptions from outside the EU are generally not accepted for prescription-only medicines. For controlled substances (Rp.w.), even EU prescriptions face additional checks and may be refused.

Does NFZ cover tourists or visitors?

Visitors with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) receive prescriptions at the same co-payment rates as Polish insured patients. Non-EU visitors pay the full retail price unless they hold private travel insurance with pharmacy cover. Always present the EHIC at the pharmacy counter together with photo ID.

Where is the nearest 24-hour pharmacy if Kolno's duty pharmacy is closed?

The nearest reliable 24-hour pharmacies are in Łomża, roughly 35 km south-west via DK63, where several outlets near Szpital Wojewódzki operate round the clock. Białystok, around 90 km east, has the broadest 24/7 coverage in the region.

§04Safety note

This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or physician for individual clinical decisions.