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Pharmacy

‘Pharmacy services’ means the following: retail sale or other dispensing of medicinal products together with related counselling for the appropriate and rational use of medicinal products as well as provision of information to the user on the correct and safe use and storage of medicinal products; the preparation of medicinal products as magistral formulae and officinal formulae and dividing-up into retail packaging.
  • A general pharmacy is an enterprise formed for the purpose of provision of pharmacy services, the location of which must be marked with the word " Apteek " [pharmacy], accompanied by the name of the pharmacy.
  • A veterinary pharmacy is an enterprise formed for the purpose of provision of pharmacy services, which has the right to dispense only veterinary medicinal products. The location of a veterinary pharmacy must be marked with the word " Veterinaarapteek " [veterinary pharmacy].
  • A hospital pharmacy is a structural unit of a hospital, which supplies medicinal products and other products for medical purposes to the hospital, and, based on an agreement, also to hospitals belonging to other operators of hospitals, social welfare institutions or holders of an activity licence for provision of emergency medical care.

The structural unit of a hospital pharmacy and a veterinary pharmacy is a branch pharmacy. The structural unit of a general pharmacy is a branch pharmacy and a pharmacy bus. The location of the branch of a general pharmacy and veterinary pharmacy must be marked by the name of the general pharmacy accompanied by the word ‘ haruapteek ’ [branch pharmacy]. A pharmacy bus must bear the name of the general pharmacy accompanied by the word ‘ apteegibuss ’ [pharmacy bus]. A branch pharmacy of a general pharmacy may be located in a settlement that is not a city or a rural town. A branch pharmacy may also be located in a city or a rural town having less than 4000 inhabitants. Pharmacy services may be provided in a pharmacy bus only in an administrative unit that is not a city or a rural town and the place of provision of the service must be at least three kilometres from an existing general pharmacy or branch pharmacy, except in the event provided for in subsection 38 (5) of this Act. If there is no general pharmacy or branch pharmacy in a city or rural town, the pharmacy bus must provide pharmacy services also in the city or rural town.

Pharmacy services must be provided only in pharmacies holding a corresponding activity licence and in structural units of the latter, taking into account the restrictions established for different categories of pharmacies.

You can find all pharmacies holding a corresponding activity licence in National registry of activity licences.

Estonian pharmacies can purchase medicines from persons who have the right to conduct the wholesale of medicines and also from other pharmacies. A holder of an activity licence for manufacturing of medicinal products or for the wholesale trade of medicinal products have wholesale rights in Estonia.

All Estonian pharmacies are prohibited to import medicines.

E-pharmacies in Estonia

E-pharmacies in Estonia are allowed to sell medicinal products under following general conditions:

  • The holder of an activity licence of a general pharmacy in Estonia has the right to engage in the distance selling of medicinal products for human use and over-the-counter medicinal products for veterinary use
  • The issue of prescription medicinal products by way of distance selling is permitted only on the basis of a prescription issued electronically and recorded in the Estonian Prescriptions Centre
  • Sale of anabolic steroids, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, (full blood and blood components, cells and tissues for medicinal use,) and advanced therapy medicinal products via e-pharmacies in Estonia is prohibited.

E-pharmacies in a member state of the European Economic Area:

  • The delivery of medicinal products ordered by way of distance selling is permitted from a pharmacy holding the respective right and having a place of business in a member state of the European Economic Area, except anabolic steroids, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, full blood and blood components, cells and tissues for medicinal use, and advanced therapy medicinal products
  • in the event of distance selling of medicinal products to Estonian patients, the medicinal product must comply with the marketing authorisation in force in Estonia (Directive 2001/83/EC Article 85c(1)(c))
  • Medicinal products ordered by way of distance selling must also be distributed and dispensed in packaging in the Estonian language and be accompanied by information in Estonian concerning the composition, content of active substances, and requirements for the use and storage of the medicinal product

Last updated: 17.02.2023