Find a pharmacy in Oswiecim
Oswiecim, a town of roughly 39,000 residents in Poland's Lesser Poland Voivodeship, sits at the confluence of the Vistula and Soła rivers and draws a steady stream of international visitors bound for the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. PillsCard lists 22 verified pharmacies serving the town centre, the Chemików and Zasole districts, and the residential blocks around ulica Dąbrowskiego. The customer base is unusually mixed for a town this size: long-standing residents from the postwar chemical-industry housing estates, staff and patients from Szpital Powiatowy on ulica Wysokie Brzegi, students at the State University of Applied Sciences, and short-stay foreign visitors requesting basic analgesics, travel medicines, or repeat prescriptions in English. Density is highest around the Rynek Główny and the Krakowska–Dąbrowskiego axis.
The market blends national chains with strong independent operators, a pattern typical of towns orbiting the Kraków metropolitan area. Dr. Max and APTEKA GEMINI anchor the chain presence with predictable pricing and extended hours, while Centrum - Centrum Tanich Leków and Apteka Duży Berlin Centrum Tanich Leków compete aggressively on generics under the "cheap medicines" banner popular across Silesia and Małopolska. Independent counters such as Apteka Rodzinna and Apteka 4 Pory Roku retain loyal local clientele near the Stare Miasto, and „Multi-Vita” together with APTEKA BLISKO CIEBIE serves the outlying estates. Hospital-adjacent dispensing is coordinated with ELVITA Specjalistyczny Zakład Opieki Zdrowotnej "MULTIMED" Szpital, which handles specialist referrals and post-discharge supply for patients leaving inpatient wards.
Pricing & coverage
Over-the-counter paracetamol 500 mg (20 tablets) typically retails between 6 and 12 PLN, ibuprofen 400 mg packs between 10 and 18 PLN, and a standard blood-pressure measurement at the counter is usually free or nominal. Prescription antibiotics such as amoxicillin range from 15 to 35 PLN with an NFZ-reimbursed script, and chronic-disease medicines (statins, metformin) frequently fall under the 65+ free-drug list or the 30/50/100% reimbursement tiers set by the Ministry of Health. Reimbursement categories and registered product data are published by the URPL. Tourists without a European Health Insurance Card pay full retail.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Oswiecim pharmacies operate a rotating night and holiday duty roster (dyżur nocny) coordinated by the Powiat Oświęcimski council; the current duty pharmacy is posted on shop windows and at Szpital Powiatowy on ulica Wysokie Brzegi 4, which also runs the local Szpitalny Oddział Ratunkowy for acute medical and dental emergencies. For life-threatening events — chest pain, stroke symptoms, anaphylaxis, severe bleeding — call 112 immediately; the dispatcher covers ambulance, fire, and police across the voivodeship. Non-urgent overnight advice is available through the nationwide Nocna i Świąteczna Opieka Zdrowotna service.
Frequently asked questions
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult a licensed pharmacy or physician for individual clinical decisions.