Turkey Pharmacy Directory: Authorised Pharmacies, On-Duty Hours and Medication Access
Turkey operates one of Europe's most pharmacy-dense healthcare systems, with more than 30,000 community pharmacies serving a population of 85 million across all 81 provinces. PillsCard aggregates publicly available OpenStreetMap data to provide a single directory covering more than 23,000 verified Turkish pharmacy locations. This guide explains how the Turkish pharmacy system works, the regulatory framework governing it, and how to use the directory effectively. The information below is provided for general educational purposes only — it does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for professional consultation with a pharmacist or physician. Tıbbi tavsiye değildir.
Regulatory Framework for Turkish Pharmacies
Pharmacy practice in Turkey is governed by the Ministry of Health through the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (Türkiye İlaç ve Tıbbi Cihaz Kurumu, TİTCK). TİTCK oversees marketing authorisations, pricing, pharmacovigilance and prescription-status classification of all medicines on the Turkish market. The professional dimension is regulated by the Turkish Pharmacists' Association (Türk Eczacıları Birliği, TEB) and its 54 provincial chambers, which enforce educational standards, ethical conduct and continuing professional development.
Under Law No. 6643 on the Turkish Pharmacists' Association and Law No. 6197 on Pharmacists and Pharmacies:
- Every pharmacy must be owned and operated by a licensed pharmacist.
- One pharmacist may operate only a single pharmacy.
- Population-based quotas apply (approximately one pharmacy per 3,500 inhabitants).
- Pharmacists must complete annual continuing-education requirements.
This regulatory infrastructure ensures consistent standards across private-sector pharmacies in Turkey and maintains a uniform ethical and quality bar nationwide.
Prescription Categories: Rx and OTC Medicines
Turkish medicines fall into three regulatory classes determined by TİTCK marketing authorisation:
White-prescription Rx medicines — antibiotics, the majority of cardiovascular agents, antidiabetic drugs and most chronic-disease medications fall into this category. The prescription must be retained at the pharmacy.
Red/orange-prescription controlled medicines — opioids, some psychotropics and other substances with abuse potential. These prescriptions use special official forms and pharmacies report dispensation regularly to TİTCK.
Over-the-counter (OTC) products — analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen), certain antacids, antihistamines and food supplements. While these are available without a prescription, consultation with the pharmacist on dose and drug interactions is recommended.
The Turkish e-Prescription system (e-Reçete) has been mandatory since 2013. Electronic prescriptions issued by a physician can be filled at any pharmacy nationwide using the patient's national ID number. For medicines reimbursed by the Social Security Institution (SGK), patient co-payment ranges between 10% and 20%, with reduced rates for pensioners.
On-Duty Pharmacies: 24/7 Access
To ensure medication access outside regular business hours, Turkey operates a nöbet eczanesi (on-duty pharmacy) system. Each district pharmacist chamber organises a rotation among pharmacies in the same area; on its duty day, the pharmacy is required to remain open overnight.
To find the on-duty pharmacy:
- Provincial pharmacist chamber websites (e.g. Istanbul Chamber, Ankara Chamber)
- Ministry of Health health information portal
- 184 SABİM emergency health advice line
- Official duty-roster panels posted at every pharmacy entrance
In an emergency, the duty panel on the door of any closed pharmacy will show the address of the nearest open one. In larger cities night duty is organised by district so the nearest open pharmacy is usually only minutes away.
Pharmacy Density Across Major Turkish Cities
The PillsCard directory currently lists the following counts for Turkey's leading cities:
- Istanbul — 651 listed pharmacies (European and Anatolian sides combined)
- Antalya — 115 pharmacies
- Ankara / Keçiören — 119 pharmacies (Keçiören district alone)
- Batman — 120 pharmacies
- Balıkesir — 74 pharmacies
- Eskişehir — 69 pharmacies
- Ankara / Mamak — 61 pharmacies
- Diyarbakır — 52 pharmacies
The directory contains more than 23,000 Turkish pharmacy entries in total, providing comprehensive coverage of both major metropolises and Anatolian provinces. Each listing includes the full address, phone number and opening hours.
Online Pharmacy Services and Digital Prescriptions
In contrast to many EU countries, Turkey does not permit full online sales of prescription medicines. Pharmacies may offer local delivery (OTC and cosmetic products only) via their websites or WhatsApp, but Rx products cannot be ordered remotely. Thanks to the e-Prescription system you do not need to carry paper prescriptions — providing your national ID number to the pharmacist is sufficient.
For SGK-reimbursed medicines, the "Medula" system is integrated with every pharmacy. When the pharmacist scans the prescription into the system, both the stock is reduced and the SGK co-payment is automatically calculated. Green prescriptions for controlled medicines can also be issued electronically, but they require physical physician signature and barcode verification.
When and What to Ask the Pharmacist
In Turkey the pharmacist is the final advisory layer in the medication-safety chain. Consultation with your pharmacist is recommended in these situations:
- Possible side effects of a newly prescribed medication
- Interaction risk when taking multiple medications
- Use of medicines during pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Dose adjustment for geriatric (over-65) patients
- Turkish equivalents of medicines purchased abroad
- Storage conditions for opened packages
The pharmacist cannot modify a physician's prescription, but if a serious interaction or contraindication is detected they can direct you back to the prescriber for clarification. Pharmacists also provide basic health-screening services such as blood-pressure and blood-glucose measurement.
Veterinary Pharmacies for Animal Medicines
Alongside human medicines, Turkey maintains a separately regulated category of veterinary pharmacies for companion-animal and livestock medications. These pharmacies operate under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and may only dispense prescriptions issued by licensed veterinary surgeons. Human prescriptions cannot be filled at these locations. Turkey hosts more than 525 registered veterinary pharmacies, with the highest density in major cities and near veterinary clinics.
SGK Reimbursement Coverage and Medicine Pricing
Medicine prices in Turkey are set annually by TİTCK through the official "Medicine Price List". Social Security Institution (SGK) beneficiaries can obtain most prescription medicines with significant discounts — active workers pay a 20% co-payment, pensioners pay 10%, and patients with chronic-illness reports (cardiac, diabetic, asthma, oncology, transplant) receive the relevant medications without co-payment.
For non-SGK patients including tourists and privately insured patients, medicine prices follow the TİTCK list. Pharmacies are required to apply the label price — no negotiation or discount is permitted. This standardisation keeps Turkish medicine prices below EU averages. The generic-medicine landscape is particularly broad, with TİTCK-approved bioequivalent alternatives available for most prescribed original products.
Medicine Recalls and Safety Notices
Through the TİTCK pharmacovigilance system (TÜFAM), post-market safety monitoring of medicines is performed continuously. Adverse-event reports are submitted to the system by both physicians and pharmacists. As a patient you can contribute to the effective functioning of this system by reporting any serious side effect to your pharmacist or physician. Medicine-recall notices are published on the TİTCK website in real time, and pharmacies are obliged to accept returns of recalled products.
How to Use This Directory
Through PillsCard you can filter Turkish pharmacies by province or district, narrow results by current opening hours, and copy phone numbers directly. Each pharmacy page contains the most current contact information, but our listings are dynamic and continuously updated by the OpenStreetMap community. If you spot an outdated or missing entry, please submit a correction.