Find a pharmacy in Lomza
Lomza, a compact city of roughly 62,000 in Poland's Podlaskie Voivodeship, supports 29 verified pharmacies in the PillsCard directory — a density that reflects both its role as a regional service hub for surrounding rural gminas and its function as an administrative centre for northeastern Mazovia's overspill. The customer base is a steady mix of long-term residents, students at the Lomza State University of Applied Sciences (PWSIiP), and patients travelling in from smaller towns such as Zambrow, Kolno, and Grajewo for specialist consultations at Wojewodzki Szpital Zespolony. Pharmacies cluster along the central axis of ulica Dworna and around Stary Rynek, with a secondary concentration near the hospital on aleja Pilsudskiego and further outlets serving the Lomzyca and Konstytucji 3 Maja housing estates on the city's western edge.
The local market is fragmented rather than chain-dominated, though national brands hold visible ground. DOZ Apteka. Dbam o Zdrowie and its sister branding Apteka Dbam o Zdrowie anchor the loyalty-card segment, while Dr. Max — the Czech-owned chain that acquired much of Poland's independent pharmacy stock in recent years — operates alongside them in the central retail zone. Independent operators remain the backbone: Apteka Spoleczna na Dwornej (Grupa Nowa Farmacja) trades from the main shopping street, Apteka Eskulap Marta Pruszko and Apteka ABC Marta Misiewicz run neighbourhood outlets, and family partnerships such as the Dudek–Jarmolowicz spolka cywilna keep older shop formats alive. Names like Primo Vere and Acer round out a landscape where community pharmacists still know regular patients by name.
Pricing & coverage
Prescription pricing in Lomza follows the national reimbursement lists published by the Ministry of Health and administered through NFZ; refundowane medicines carry fixed patient co-payments of 3.20 PLN, 30%, or 50% of the reference price depending on category, while seniors aged 65+ access many chronic-disease drugs free under the 65+ programme. A typical antibiotic course runs 15–40 PLN out of pocket, standard antihypertensives 8–25 PLN monthly, and OTC analgesics 6–18 PLN. Compounded preparations (leki recepturowe) are dispensed at a capped patient charge. Marketing authorisation and safety data for any product sold in Poland can be checked against the register maintained by URPL.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Lomza operates a rotating night-and-holiday duty pharmacy (apteka dyzurna) scheduled by the Powiat Lomzynski council; the current rota is posted at pharmacy doors, in the local press, and at the Urzad Miejski website. For acute medical emergencies dial 112, which routes to the regional dispatcher in Bialystok. The Szpitalny Oddzial Ratunkowy at Wojewodzki Szpital Zespolony im. Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego on aleja Pilsudskiego is the reference SOR for the Lomza catchment. Non-urgent evening and weekend GP needs are covered by Nocna i Swiateczna Opieka Zdrowotna contracted through the local NFZ branch.
Frequently asked questions
Do Lomza pharmacies stock imported or specialist medicines? Most central Lomza pharmacies can order non-stocked items via national wholesalers (Neuca, Pelion, Farmacol) with next-day delivery on weekdays. For rarely prescribed biologics or unlicensed imports under the "import docelowy" scheme, patients are usually referred to Wojewodzki Szpital Zespolony's hospital pharmacy, which handles the URPL application. Ordering typically takes 3–10 working days. It is worth phoning ahead — smaller neighbourhood outlets in Lomzyca or on the Konstytucji 3 Maja estate keep leaner stock than the Dworna and Stary Rynek pharmacies, which serve higher walk-in volumes.
Can I use an EU prescription in Lomza? Yes. Cross-border prescriptions issued in any EEA country on the standard EU template are dispensable in Polish pharmacies, provided the prescriber's details, patient identification, and product information meet the 2012/52/EU format. The medicine must be authorised in Poland; pharmacists check this against the URPL register. Reimbursement, however, does not transfer — EU visitors pay the full retail price unless they present an EHIC card together with a Polish-issued prescription obtained during their stay.
Are e-prescriptions (e-recepta) accepted at all pharmacies? All 29 verified pharmacies in Lomza accept the national e-recepta, which has been mandatory for reimbursed medicines since 2020. Patients present a four-digit PIN plus PESEL number, or scan the QR code sent by SMS or via the mojIKP patient portal. The system works identically in Lomza as in Warsaw or Bialystok, and foreign residents with a PESEL can use it without difficulty.
Which Lomza pharmacies offer vaccinations? Since 2022, qualified pharmacists in Poland may administer influenza, COVID-19, and selected pneumococcal vaccines. In Lomza the service is offered principally by the larger chain branches — DOZ and Dr. Max locations on Dworna and near the hospital — rather than by smaller independents. Appointments are booked through the pharmacy directly or via the national IKP portal. NFZ funds seasonal flu vaccination free of charge for over-65s and other eligible groups; private-pay flu shots run around 45–60 PLN.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. For individual clinical decisions, dosage queries, or interaction checks, consult a licensed pharmacist or your prescribing physician in person.