Find a pharmacy in Paslek
Paslek (Pasłęk) is a small historic town in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, northern Poland, with roughly 12,000 residents served by six verified pharmacies in the PillsCard directory. The catchment extends beyond the town itself to surrounding rural gminas, where villagers travel in for prescription dispensing, chronic-condition refills, and seasonal vaccination. Unlike larger Polish cities, Paslek has no concentrated "medical district" — pharmacies cluster around the market square (Plac Grunwaldzki), the Zamkowa street corridor near the Teutonic castle, and the Bankowa/Westerplatte axis close to the primary healthcare clinic (przychodnia). Summer brings modest tourist traffic from the Elbląg Canal route, and cross-border shoppers from the nearby Russian Kaliningrad exclave were once a factor, though that has fallen away since 2022.
The market is dominated by the national chain DOZ, which operates at least two outlets in town — DOZ Apteka. Dbam O Zdrowie. Pasłęcka and DOZ Apteka. Dbam O Zdrowie. Zamkowa — bracketing the town centre and offering standardised loyalty pricing through the Dbam o Zdrowie card. Alongside them, independent community pharmacies such as Wracam Do Zdrowia and Verbena preserve the older Polish apteka tradition, with pharmacists (magister farmacji) known personally to repeat customers and willing to compound simple preparations. There is no hospital-affiliated pharmacy inside the town; inpatient dispensing is handled through Szpital Miejski in nearby Elbląg, roughly 30 km north. Specialist concentration is minimal — expect general community dispensing rather than oncology or clinical-trial pharmacy services.
Pricing & coverage
Prescription medicines reimbursed by NFZ (Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia) typically cost the patient a flat 3.20 PLN, 30%, or 50% co-payment depending on the drug's reimbursement tier, with fully-reimbursed items free at point of dispensing for eligible patients aged 65+ or under 18. Over-the-counter analgesics such as paracetamol 500 mg (20 tablets) sit around 5–10 PLN; a standard antibiotic course runs 15–40 PLN with prescription; blood-pressure monitors range 90–200 PLN. Pharmacist consultation services (opieka farmaceutyczna), introduced under the 2021 Pharmacist Profession Act, are NFZ-funded for eligible patients. Reimbursement lists are published by the Ministry of Health; product authorisation is administered by the URPL.
Emergencies & out-of-hours care
Paslek pharmacies operate a rotating duty roster (dyżur nocny) coordinated by the Braniewo poviat council under Article 94 of the Pharmaceutical Law, so at least one apteka remains reachable overnight and on public holidays — the current rota is posted on each pharmacy's door and on the poviat website. For after-hours medical needs, patients use Nocna i Świąteczna Opieka Zdrowotna at the designated primary-care point, and life-threatening emergencies (chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe trauma, anaphylaxis) go to the SOR at Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony in Elbląg. Call 112 for any acute emergency.
Frequently asked questions
Are English-speaking pharmacists available in Paslek?
Rarely as a guaranteed service. Paslek is a small Polish town without a significant expat community, and most pharmacists conduct consultations in Polish. Younger staff at the DOZ chain outlets often manage functional English for basic prescription queries and OTC recommendations, and German is occasionally spoken given regional history. Travellers needing complex counselling — for example, drug-interaction advice on chronic medication — are better served in Elbląg or Gdańsk. Bring the drug's active-ingredient name (INN) rather than a foreign brand name; pharmacists can identify the Polish equivalent quickly from the substancja czynna.
Can I fill a foreign prescription in Paslek?
Yes, if it meets EU cross-border prescription rules: the prescription must be issued by a licensed EU/EEA prescriber, include the patient's identifying details, the INN of the medicine, dosage, and the prescriber's contact information and signature. Controlled substances (opioids, some psychotropics) are excluded and require a Polish prescription. Non-EU prescriptions are generally not honoured; travellers from outside the EU should consult a Polish GP first. Reimbursement does not apply — foreign prescriptions are dispensed at full retail price in PLN.
Do Paslek pharmacies stock imported or specialist medicines?
Stock reflects small-town demand: routine cardiovascular, diabetes, respiratory, and antibiotic ranges are reliably available, along with common paediatric and geriatric formulations. Rarer biologics, oncology medicines, or orphan drugs typically require ordering — pharmacists can source most authorised products within 24–48 hours through national wholesalers such as Neuca or Pelion. For urgent specialist supply, Elbląg's larger pharmacies and the hospital pharmacy at Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony are the practical fallback.
Which pharmacy is open on Sundays?
Sunday and public-holiday opening in Paslek follows the poviat duty roster rather than fixed hours. At least one pharmacy — often rotating between the DOZ Pasłęcka, DOZ Zamkowa, Verbena, and Wracam Do Zdrowia outlets — will be designated the dyżurna apteka. The current schedule is posted physically at each pharmacy door, on the Starostwo Powiatowe w Elblągu website, and available by calling any listed pharmacy. Outside duty hours, the nearest 24-hour pharmacy is in Elbląg.
Safety note
This directory is informational only and is not medical advice. Consult a licensed pharmacist or physician for individual clinical decisions, prescription queries, or drug-interaction concerns.